


Recipe for Success

by sunshineflying



Series: Reyux Great British Bake-Off AU [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, British, Communication is hard, F/M, Long Distance Relationship, Relationship Struggles, Rey loves her American expats, great british bake-off AU, life after reality TV
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-24
Updated: 2019-04-02
Packaged: 2019-11-05 04:35:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 32,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17912123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshineflying/pseuds/sunshineflying
Summary: A sequel toA Curious Mix.After participating on The Great British Bake-Off, Rey finds it difficult to adjust to life after reality TV. Everything is slower, mundane all over again, and now she's got a relationship out of it that she has to try to maintain over great distances. All this while fielding offers to let her baking talents grow - if she makes certain sacrifices.What does she do? How does her relationship grow - or dwindle - throughout it all? And can Rey stay true to herself in the midst of her newfound fame?Only time will tell.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I want to just say thank you to everyone who has been so encouraging, warm, and kind throughout the process both of writing the original fic, and also this sequel. I'm pleased to say that I've gotten past my writer's block, and this fic should be coming out on a somewhat regular basis from here until the end, which should be somewhere between 6-10 chapters long.
> 
> Thank you all for reading!

“Rey, we’re going to need you to come to London.”

With a heavy sigh, Rey set down her croissant and left the small break room of the cafe where she worked. She tried not to sound too exasperated as she walked through the back door to sit on the porch outside. “When? And for how long?”

Having won the accolade of Britain’s top baker in _The Great British Bake-Off_ , Rey was now beginning to reap the rewards of such a title. But it came at a price. She’d already made two trips to London after winning — not counting her vacation with Hux — and it had all been for naught, at least so far.

“Monday, probably just for the day, maybe two.”

Rey was speaking to a publicist assigned to her since winning. She’d been the underdog of the show, and after voicing some of her struggles, the network had chosen to really push to make Rey successful and keep her in the public’s eye, if it was what she wanted. She was working on launching a food blog, and this call and all of her visits to London on business were with the express purpose of gaining her a book deal.

She’d thought winning would be much easier than this.

Rey sighed. “Can it wait until later in the week? I’m supposed to open the shop Monday because my bosses are out of town until Tuesday.”

“Rey — we’ve talked about this. If you want this book deal to take off and to start really baking as your career, you’re going to have to leave that shop behind.”

Head in her hand, Rey took a deep breath and tried not to explode. The poor publicist was only doing her job, and she _was_ right.

Amilyn Holdo was a no-nonsense woman, eccentric in her tastes but definitely determined to get things done. She’d done wonders for Rey so far — they already had several advertisers lined up for a blog that hadn’t even launched yet — and she’d gotten bids for Rey from at least three different publishers, even though the book wasn’t written yet.

But if there was one thing Rey hated about working with Holdo, it was that she had no patience for Rey when she waffled about doing something. The tough love would come twice as hard as Rey was used to, and it was a lot for Rey to contend with.

She’d be nothing if the shop ladies hadn’t given her a chance and let her work for them. They’d run the business entirely by themselves before Rey came into the picture. If she left —

“The business will be fine without you if they’re worth their salt,” Holdo reminded Rey. “This is your entire future we’re talking about. If you want a career in baking — and last I checked, you _do_ — you’re going to have to part ways with them.”

“But I need _income_ ,” Rey sighed. “I pay rent and bills. I can’t just leave that all to my roommate.”

“You _will_ have income,” Holdo reassured her. “Once we finish this book deal and launch that blog. And with the launch of those things, we can also get you on TV for a few extra pounds in your pocket. Besides, don’t you have a savings built up?”

“I spent it all during the competition,” Rey explained. “You know, buying mountains of ingredients to practice with?”

The line was quiet. Rey knew that Holdo was disappointed with her. Every time there was silence like this on the line, Rey feared that everything she’d been offered because of her win on _Bake-Off_ would be taken away from her. She didn’t understand the contracts she’d signed enough to know whether or not that was even possible, but she still worried about it. That was _why_ she worried about it.

“I can push the meeting with the publisher to Wednesday,” Holdo said finally. “She won’t be happy, but if you can promise me you’ll be here for that, and extend your trip through Saturday, we’ll counter that by taking the publisher to dinner, as a gesture of goodwill.”

“More money I don’t have,” Rey grumbled.

“We’ll get you there,” Holdo insisted. She’d turned from brash to gentle; that was her tick that she was _really_ irritated with Rey. “You just have to quit your job and find a way to move to London, that’s all.”

Rey felt her eyes starting to sparkle with unshed tears. “I’ll text you details of my train journey later,” Rey said with finality.

When she pressed ‘ _end_ ’ on the phone call, Rey took a moment to breathe and blink away the tears. There was a lot that had come out of _Bake-Off_ that she hadn’t been expecting, and not all of it good. She had half a mind to text Hux and complain, but she felt bad about how much she’d been complaining to him lately. It felt a bit like salt in the wound, complaining to someone who’d lost the competition, telling him about how hard it was to have won.

“Rey?”

One of the owners. Rey’s stomach dropped. Her break had ended several minutes ago.

“Coming.”

——

That evening, Rey sat around her empty flat, absentmindedly responding to the text messages Hux was sending her. They texted daily, which she appreciated. It made her feel like they were going to be okay, even over the distance. Though neither of them had said as much, it felt like it was only a matter of time until they lived in the same city. She was in London frequently enough, after all.

It surprised her, then, to see the screen light up with not a text message, but a call. Rey answered with a confused, “Hello?”

“What’s wrong?”

It was Hux, cutting right to the chase. “I’m fine,” Rey responded. 

She settled in on the sofa, a bowl of popcorn in her lap. It was the premiere of their season of _Bake-Off_ on TV that night, and she wanted to see how spectacularly messy the show made her look. Plus, she was curious to see what journeys the other bakers had taken; she’d been laser focused on her own success she hadn’t had time to pay attention to many of the others.

“You have never used so many one word answers with me in the entire time I’ve known you.”

Rey sighed. Of _course_ he’d notice such a thing.

“I got another call from Holdo.”

The line was quiet, this time because of Hux. He knew very well what feelings Rey harbored about the situation — the pressure she was under, and the many things Hold was asking her to do. Rey often turned to Hux to talk about the subject, because she felt overwhelmed, having to make a lot of big decisions in a small amount of time.

“What did she want?”

“Oh, the usual,” Rey said, shoveling a few pieces of popcorn in her mouth. As she chewed, she said, “I need to go to London again, I’m supposed to quit my job, the book deal is almost there but we need to woo the company… all kinds of good stuff.”

Hux didn’t speak. Rey sensed that he was giving her a window to truly say what was on her mind about it all, but she didn’t feel like it. It went without saying by this point in their relationship that she was unhappy with the whole situation. A lot of good things were coming her way, this was true, but all the stress and demands that went into it were more than she’d anticipated.

“Alright, so… what are you going to do?”

“Well, obviously I’m going to go to London,” Rey replied. “I don’t know about moving. That sounds awfully scary, and besides, I haven’t got the money. I figure I can keep using the train until the book deal brings in enough money that I can get a flat or something.”

There was hesitation, and then Hux asked, “And the job?”

“I’ve got to keep it. How else am I going to pay rent?”

Neither of them spoke; many times, Hux had offered his flat, his money, whatever Rey might need to get started, but stubbornly she’d refused. The more time he spent with her, the more Hux realized that Rey was fiercely independent; the fact that she’d let him spoil her as much as he had on her trip to London was no small feat, and he was now aware that it was unlikely to ever happen again. 

They’d only broached the topic once, in which Rey explained that she didn’t accept the money because she feared that it would look too much like _Pretty Woman_ to outsiders. Hux assured her that this wouldn’t be the case, but Rey was too uneasy about it. There was no way he could change her mind, at least that evening, so he gave up. It wasn’t worth getting into an argument over.

“Alright, so you’re going to juggle last-minute trips to London, your job with your stodgy bosses, and making your cookbook,” he summarized.

“Don’t forget the blog,” Rey intoned dully.

“You’re unhappy.”

It was more of an observation, less of a question, but Rey took it as the latter anyway. 

“Sort of? I don’t know,” she responded. “I like the things being offered, it’s just a pain actually making them happen. Like, don’t they understand I’m living paycheck to paycheck up here?”

Hux didn’t speak; Rey was pretty sure that if he would have, he’d have offered more money. Instead, he slightly changed the topic.

“I’m assuming you’d like to stay here while you’re at your meetings?”

Suddenly, Rey’s mood shifted. She got quieter as guilt bubbled in her chest. She’d been so brash with him, and yet here she was, needing to ask him a favor. “If that’s okay, yes…” Before he answered, she added, “I’m sorry I’m so tense. I’m not angry with you, I promise.”

“I know,” Hux replied. “It’s stressful, I understand.” He was quiet for a moment; Rey heard the clicking of the trackpad on his Macbook. “When will you be here? I’ll mark it on my calendar.”

“I haven’t booked the train yet, but sometime Wednesday through Saturday,” Rey explained. “Does that work for you?”

Hux was quiet again; Rey heard him typing, and then click again. She was now officially on his calendar. “Yes, that’s fine. I work until five during the week, which you know, but I can duck out early if your train gets in before that.”

Rey popped another piece of popcorn into her mouth. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Hux replied. “Starting your career is difficult. You should let us help more.”

“Us?”

Hux chuckled. “I only met your friends once, in passing, but I’m well aware that they would do anything for you,” he explained. After a pause, he asked, “Am I wrong? Or have they offered to help you?”

“Are you watching our season on telly tonight?”

An expert, albeit a bit rude, change of topic. But Rey didn’t want to talk about her burgeoning career any longer. It stressed her out, and she wanted her relationship with Hux to consist of more than just conversations about her baking career that might have been his, had he beat her in the competition.

A heavy sigh told Rey that he was a little disappointed in her abrupt change of topic, but he indulged her anyway. “No, I’m not,” he replied. “I’d rather not see myself look a fool.”

“You didn’t!” Rey exclaimed.

“No? Are you forgetting the moment I sliced my finger? Or over-kneaded my dough?”

“Please watch it with me?” Rey begged, the episode already started in the background. 

The intro reel was rolling, and in just a few moments she’d see her own face on the television — and Hux’s, too. Not as good as seeing him in real life, but Rey would take it because she missed him.

Another sigh, followed by some shuffling on Hux’s end. In moments, she heard the same noise coming from her television echoing dully in the background of Hux’s end of the line. Rey beamed. “Thank you.”

“Shall we text each other commentary on everyone else?” he suggested.

Glad for both the entertainment during the show and something to take her mind off of the results of _Bake-Off_ , Rey hastily agreed. Once they’d rung off, they started in almost immediately, leading with Hux’s immediate criticism of Ben’s stupid hair and the way he kept combing his hand through it like he thought he was some kind of Disney prince.

Rey cackled so loudly she got a text from Poe across the hall, asking her what was going on.

Before long, Rey had her commentary with Hux happening in iMessages, and Poe’s thoughts on it all from just down the sofa. He’d joined her as soon as she said what she was watching, and she was glad for the company.

She was grateful for her friends and how close they lived, but wished she could bridge her life in Wolverhampton with her life in London. She didn’t have much of a life there yet, but London was where her career might take off if she played her cards right, and of course London was also where Hux was.

At the end of the night, she had tears in her eyes from laughing so hard with Poe and Hux, and she felt a little better about the days ahead.

—— 

Holdo’s office was as bright and colorful as her hair; she sported grey clothes most of the time — power pant suits and gowns that only _she_ could make look business casual rather than black-tie affair — but her hair was pastel purple, and her office was full of reprints of Warhol paintings in a wide array of bright colors. Everything else was sterile and white — just enough to make Rey feel like she had potential, but wasn’t actually _welcome_.

In each and every meeting, Rey was filled with the irrational, fleeting fear that her career in baking was going to be short-lived. A tale for the YouTube videos of the future — “ _Bake-Off Contestants Whose Careers Ended Too Soon_ ” or some bollocks like that — rather than the success Holdo kept promising her.

Rey wanted to be like Nadiya, the winner from several years prior. She wanted the cookbook, the blog, a few talk show appearances just to know what it was like. Rey watched her TV shows almost religiously, but knew deep down that she had no possible way to imitate that relating to her own life. Her parents grew up in England, as did she, and they had nothing particularly unique about themselves. She couldn’t trace her lineage back to a different country in a way that was interesting, as Nadiya had done.

But Rey sat in Holdo’s office anyway, hopeful for some sort of career to come out of this unexpected win. She wouldn’t be disappointed, per se, if nothing came of it at all — she’d entered on a whim at Rose’s insistence and hadn’t expected to make it past week five, never mind through to win the final — but if the win could help her boost herself up in the world, Rey would take it. She was determined and strong, and she wanted a lot more than to just work under two grumpy old ladies who slightly resembled frogs until they actually croaked and the business went under because they didn’t trust her to do more than take payments and serve already-baked pastries.

But Rey wasn’t bitter about it. Not at all.

“Alright, Rey. We need to have a conversation here and now about what you want to come out of all of this.”

It was almost as though Holdo could read her train of thought. Rey didn’t like it.

Rey swallowed past a lump in her throat and sat up a little taller in her seat. She could assert herself, she could ask for what she wanted. She _could_.

“I just want to bake,” Rey said. It sounded much stupider when she said it out loud than when she thought it in her head. “I want to be like Nadiya.”

“Right,” Holdo nodded. “Well — that’s possible, to an extent.”

Rey was quiet.

“See, Nadiya was successful from the very start because she had some unique thing about her. She made these crazy facial expressions, and she had incredibly creative ideas, and her comedic timing was _genius_.” Holdo paused, and Rey felt uneasy. “But you don’t have that. All you have is your backstory which, while heartbreaking and certainly a way to get the public to be sympathetic towards you, is not something on which you can really build a persona.”

“So… I can’t do it, then.”

Holdo smiled knowingly, and Rey felt even more uneasy. Something was going to come out of Holdo’s mouth and it was entirely likely that Rey wasn’t going to like it.

“We just have to play up _other_ aspects of your life.”

Rey frowned. She didn’t like the sound of that _at all_. Though, to be fair, she didn’t entirely know what it meant, either.

“A little birdy told me that you and another contestant have been seeing each other,” Holdo said bluntly, her facial expression akin to that of a cat who just caught the canary. She looked so proud that Rey _almost_ denied the whole thing.

“So what?” Rey countered coolly.

“So that’s your thing,” Holdo said simply. She beamed, and she gestured to Rey as though Rey should commend her or something.

Rey was unmoving in her chair.

Holdo’s smile faded, but she didn’t let it deter her. She sat up and leaned forward, elbows on her desk, hands clasped. “I’m sure you two didn’t show it much in the actual footage we’ve got, but there’s still time to spin the story. ‘The Great _Bake-Off_ Romance of 2019’ has an awfully nice ring to it, don’t you think?”

Confused, Rey asked, “You want me to use my relationship to get famous?”

“Rey, you already _are_ famous. The episode aired just a couple of nights ago and already people love you,” Holdo explained. “You’re the underdog with the tragic backstory. You’ve already won the love of the audience. You’ll just be taking advantage of the relationship you’ve built with Hux in order to stay relevant.”

“I — _what_?”

“Just think about it!” Holdo insisted. “You have time, since the episodes are still airing right now. But by the time the final airs, we’ll have already selected as much footage of you two interacting as possible, and then that _hug_?” Beaming, Holdo said, “The way you ran to him and hugged him is probably the most romantic thing we’ve ever seen filmed for _Bake-Off_. And by then, you’ll be able to release your first cookbook, and when people ask about you and Hux as a couple, we use that. How do you feel about book number two being a collaboration between you and Hux?”

“I —”

“You don’t need to make any decisions yet, but just think about it, alright? This is the first _Bake-Off_ romance Britain has ever seen! It’s exciting. A whole untapped market, to be honest.”

“It’s all very new…”

Holdo smiled. “Speaking of — try not to be seen out in public with him too much, would you? Now that the show is airing, I mean. We wouldn’t want to get ahead of ourselves, give away any spoilers.”

Rey raised an eyebrow and asked dryly, “Isn’t me being in London a massive spoiler in itself?”

That, at least temporarily, rendered Holdo speechless. Rey was grateful for it, because it meant she had a minute to herself, to mull over everything Holdo had just thrown at her. 

On the one hand, having a successful career was incredibly enticing. It was what she wanted — to do more than she currently was. But there had to be ways to achieve that without using Hux, right? He was a person with feelings, with his own life. It wouldn’t be fair to him if Rey used their relationship to get ahead — nor did she particularly want to have her success come to her solely because she was dating someone.

She was spectacular on her own. Hux was great, but… she didn’t need him to have a successful career. She _shouldn’t_ need him for that, at least.

“How about the blog? How are we coming on that?”

Rey felt the easiest way to move forward was to change the topic, and thankfully Holdo indulged. They spent the rest of the meeting discussing the types of things Rey should begin to produce for the blog, and what the workflow for that would be. She’d have to send them to an editor, and she’d have to get someone to professionally take photographs of the things she was baking (apparently her iPhone 6’s camera was horribly outdated, and she’d only ruin her career if she used it). 

So, Rey was sent out of the office with a mission to find a photographer in Wolverhampton by their meeting the next day. 

The whole tube ride back to Hux’s place, Rey felt exhausted. She hated that one short meeting with Holdo wore her out so much. Rey was constantly on her guard in those meetings, trying to make sure she wasn’t taken advantage of, or talked into something she didn’t want to do. It was hard to keep up sometimes, and Holdo was a smooth talker with lots of ideas — though not all of them were particularly good.

It probably didn’t help that on that particular day, Rey was also lugging around her suitcase because she’d had to go directly from the train to her meeting. 

Hux was at the door to greet her when she reached his floor, and he took the bag from her, though she didn’t have much further to walk. He gave her space as she entered and kicked her shoes off haphazardly by the door.

Once Rey was settled in, she turned to him and slipped her arms around his waist, granting him a small kiss before she tucked her head beneath his chin and closed her eyes. He was warm and comforting — the best thing that had happened to her all day.

“Everything alright?” he asked.

She didn’t answer; he’d take it as a no, but he’d give her time to get the words out. It was almost a guarantee that she’d explain everything before bed — she was bad at keeping bottled up around Hux.

So, she sipped at a glass of wine while he made dinner — just a simple pasta dish — and watched him move about the kitchen. 

Rey hadn’t had much of a chance to watch Hux in the kitchen, mostly because she’d been baking anytime he’d been baking. When she’d visited London after the _Bake-Off Final_ , he either cooked while she was in the shower, or they went out for food. This was something she’d just started to get used to, as her trips to see Holdo and attend meetings brought her to London more often.

She appreciated watching him work, the way he looked so relaxed and at-ease while he baked. Rey was well aware that she was the very opposite — tense and stressed — as evidenced by the first episode of _Bake-Off_. His shoulders were strong and he rolled up his sleeves around his elbows. The relaxed look in his business clothes suited him well.

By the time he was finished cooking and had set out their plates of food along with re-filled wine glasses at the counter bar, Rey was feeling much less tense. 

“Do you want to talk about it yet?” Hux asked as Rey took a bite of tortellini.

She chewed and considered his question. Then, she nodded and slowly began to tell the story of the day. She spared no detail, including Holdo’s plan for getting Rey famous.

“But the thing is, that’s not fair to either of us, if I do that,” Rey said finally.

It wasn’t the most attractive thing in the world, watching Rey eat, especially when she was talking. She chewed with her mouth open, spoke while she chewed, and often took bites that were larger than entirely necessary. And yet, Hux found her to be attractive, so Rey figured she should consider herself quite lucky.

“How is writing a cookbook with me unfair to either of us?” Hux challenged.

Rey raised an eyebrow. “I —” she hesitated. When he put it that way, it actually sounded alright. “It’s — I guess it’s not that. It’s the whole… use our relationship to make myself interesting. I should be interesting without it, right?”

“I know you are, and your friends know you are, and hell, even the other contestants know you are,” Hux said. “But outside of that… I suppose I can see Holdo’s point.”

“So… if you were in my shoes, you’d do the same thing?”

Hux took a sip of his wine. “I don’t know if I’d say _that_ ,” he conceded. “I guess — what I’m trying to say is, I wouldn’t fault you if you decided to go ahead with her idea.”

“But it’s bad!” Rey exclaimed. She didn’t understand why he wasn’t understanding her point. “I mean — I care about you a lot, but why does our relationship have to have _anything_ to do with my career? I’m a good baker. I like to bake, and I can clearly do it enough to win a title. _That_ is what I did, and _that_ is what should boost my career.”

Hux took a deep breath. “So then use that. Write a cookbook like all the other _Bake-Off_ contestants. If you want to be like Nadiya…”

“Using our relationship to get famous isn’t anything like what Nadiya did.”

“I know,” Hux responded, nodding. “But the fact of the matter is this: you are not Nadiya. You’re quirky and cute and that’s _great_ but Nadiya’s dry humor and sarcasm and the expressions she makes are not something you did at all during taping. If you win over the hearts of all of Britain, it won’t be for the same reasons she did.”

“It would be because I fell for someone during the competition. And by playing up that fact, I’ll be setting the women’s movement back by at least a decade. Great,” she said dryly.

Hux took a bite of his pasta and took his time responding. Rey wondered if maybe she’d crossed a line and been a little _too_ grumpy. Their relationship was still fairly new, and she hadn’t dated someone for this long before so she didn’t know when exactly she could let her grumpiest, worst sides show through.

He didn’t seem wholly deterred by her, though, and she felt immense relief at that.

“I think you’re overthinking this,” he said. “But if you truly don’t like her idea, then come up with something else.”

Rey tilted her head to the side. “What?”

“Come up with a better idea, then. Counter Holdo’s suggestion to use our relationship as a way to get ahead with something else,” Hux explained. “You do colorful bakes… you take fast-food or cafe desserts and make homemade versions… something like that.”

“I do cake pops _one time_ and suddenly I’m ripping off Starbucks.”

Rey laughed, very obviously telling Hux that she was teasing him. He eyed her not warily, but with an exasperation that said he was just trying to help. Rey took a deep breath and nodded, regathering her composure. “You’re right,” she agreed. “I’m sorry. If I don’t like her idea, I need to come up with my own. Thank you.”

Hux took another sip of his wine. “You’re welcome.”

Rey was quiet for a moment, getting an odd feeling in her gut. Had she truly just offended him? It wasn’t often that her sarcasm came at an inopportune moment, but she may have just done it.

“I’m really sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into me tonight.”

“It’s alright,” Hux said, almost immediately. “You’ve had a long day, and things are only going to get more stressful from here on out.”

Rey frowned. “I shouldn’t take it out on you.”

“You’re not,” Hux insisted. “We’re thinking out loud. It’s a difficult situation. Things are going to get tense but I have never once felt like you’re angry with me.”

She was quiet as she studied Hux, the last pieces of food on her plate forgotten. 

Their relationship was an odd one, something she couldn’t make much sense of — sometimes they felt like a brand new couple, exploring dating and each other for the very first time. But other times, they felt like they’d been together forever, not just because of the familiarity, but because they were able to get through rough patches and weren’t afraid to show each other the uglier sides of their personalities.

Rey wondered if it was fair, though, her stubbornness and grumpiness towards Holdo always coming out between them whenever they saw each other. In all her visits to London to work with Holdo on making a career out of baking, Rey and Hux had ended up quibbling over something or other. What’s worse was that it always ended with Rey falling asleep far too late with a guilty, dreadful feeling in the pit of her stomach. 

As Rey helped Hux rinse off the dishes and put them into the dishwasher, she wondered how on earth to make it better, how to bring levity back to the situation.

In the end, it was Hux who did just that.

“Do they really have enough footage to make the viewers think we were dating?”

Rey smiled coyly and shrugged. “All I know is that they’re definitely pleased with the footage of us from the final. As for the rest… I’m not sure.”

“Hmm,” Hux hummed, drying off his hands as the dishwasher began its rinse cycle. “I suppose this just means we’ll have to keep watching it, won’t we?”

Rey looked up at him with a sparkle in her eye. “I hope so,” she replied. “The other night was quite fun. Between you and Poe… it was probably the most entertaining episode of _Bake-Off_ I’ve ever seen.”

“From what you told me, he sounds like quite a character,” Hux said, taking Rey’s hand as he led her to the living room.

He switched on the telly to nothing in particular and they sat down together. Rey nestled in easily against his side; they’d done this at least a dozen times, now. He draped an arm around her shoulders as she said, “He is. I think you’d like him.”

“I very rarely like people,” Hux replied easily.

“You’ll like Poe,” Rey reassured him. “I don’t think you have the patience for Finn, though. And Rose…”

“She sounds scary.”

Rey laughed brightly, all worry from before entirely gone now that they were onto more pleasant topics. “She’s really not,” Rey hoped to reassure him. “She’s just very… particular.”

Hux hummed. “I get the feeling I’m either going to really like her, or really despise her.”

“Hopefully it’s the former,” Rey said, her voice softer now as they settled in for a cozy evening. She sounded tired, the exhaustion she felt finally reflecting in her demeanor. “But I won’t be too surprised if it’s the latter.”

Gently, Hux pressed a kiss atop her head. “I’ll try to tolerate her, if it _is_ the latter,” he reassured her. “Just for you.”

Rey smiled.

——

By Saturday, Rey felt more overwhelmed than anything else, but was grateful for Hux’s patience with her. She hadn’t felt much like partaking in any sort of intimacy aside from cuddling, nor had she really wanted to go out.

Truth be told, she was also worried that they’d go out and people would see them — Holdo had warned them to try not to be seen in public together — but Rey didn’t have the heart to mention that part of the conversation to Hux. Not when they were finally finding some peace in their relationship, once Rey could put aside her career frustrations and stop bringing them back to Hux’s flat with her at the end of the day.

Boarding the train back to Wolverhampton was far less emotional than it used to be, primarily because Rey knew full well that she’d see Hux again soon. Neither of them knew exactly when or where, but they knew she’d be back. Her career was just getting started.

Nevertheless, Hux brought Rey to Paddington station and gave her a slow, sweet kiss goodbye. She only looked around sheepishly a few times before turning to board the train out of London, ignoring the odd raised-eyebrow look Hux had given her.

As always, he’d sent her a text message as soon as the train had departed the platform:

**Safe journey.**

Rey responded, of course ( _see you soon [kissy-face emoji]_ ), but felt a growing knot in her stomach. The more she visited and was seen around London in the weeks to come, the more likely it was people might find out about them. And, having not yet made a decision about whether she wanted to use their relationship as a mechanism to define herself, Rey felt wary about being seen with him.

Hux didn’t seem to have a problem with it, given their conversations, but it still left Rey feeling uneasy. It was _wrong_ , going about things that way. 

Maybe a conversation with everyone back in Wolverhampton would help. Rey pulled her legs up so she was sitting cross-legged in her seat and began tapping out messages to their group chat. She wanted opinions, and she wanted them right away.

In the end, Rey was left with no clearer a mind than before she’d messaged them. Finn, Poe, and Rose all held differing opinions on the matter, and none had really given Rey a concrete suggestion as to what to do instead — at least Hux had given her that.

By the time she actually arrived back at her flat, Rey was exasperated and felt like her mind was nothing but slog; she couldn’t make sense of any of her thoughts anymore. Her friends had all given their opinions — which she’d asked for — but none of it made her own thoughts any clearer. 

It was frustrating, and Rey ignored it all by taking a nap.

——

Rey had to work bright and early the next day — she usually always worked Sunday mornings — but this one was particularly tedious. She wasn’t feeling all that perky, though everyone expected it of her anyway. Rey smiled at the regulars and gave them their coffee and their croissants.

One regular, Gertude, even stopped by the counter to tell her that she’d seen her on the telly that week on _Bake-Off_. “Are you the one who’s been baking these?” she asked, holding up her plate, which held a flaky, slightly-burned croissant.

“No,” Rey shook her head. “The owners do the baking.”

“Pity,” grumbled Gertrude. As she shook her head, her puffy grey curls bounced atop her head. “Maybe if they left the kitchen to you, the croissants wouldn’t be so burnt.”

Rey put on her best kind smile. She never knew when the owners would appear, so as much as she’d like to pile on and give her own opinions, Rey did the polite thing, instead. “Oh, I’m sure they just had a busy day in the kitchen for this batch,” she lied.

“These croissants have been burnt since before you were born, dear,” said Gertrude. She looked up at Rey with a confused sort of amusement in her eyes. “Sweet of you to stand up for them, though. Between you and me, Millie’s eyes stopped working back in the 80’s and after that, there was no saving her baking.”

Rey bit her tongue and tried desperately to stifle her laughter. Mildred — Millie, as most called her — shared the shop with Camilla, and neither of them had particularly strong skills in the kitchen. In fact, during busy seasons, Rey had a sneaking suspicion that they went to the local Asda to buy their pastries in bulk and pass them off as their own.

“Come on, dear,” said Gertrude’s sweet, elderly husband Thomas. He offered her his arm to lead her away to their usual table in the front window, the sun streaming in from outside. 

As she watched them, Rey had a dark thought — she’d miss that couple, when they were gone. A lot of the regulars in the shop were elderly people, probably mostly friends of Millie and Camilla from many, many years ago. One day, they wouldn’t visit anymore, and that’d be even more loss in Rey’s life that she’d have to bear. 

Her shift ended just past noon when Camilla came in for the last few open hours on Sunday, so Rey got the rest of the day to herself. Instead of going home like she usually did, Rey chose to take a detour.

It was a beautiful August day, and she only had so many more beautiful days before the brisk winter cold would set in. She passed a vendor on the street selling flowers and opted to get a small bouquet of daisies before continuing on her walk.

Rey kept her apron draped over her arm, and she walked with a slow, relaxed sort of ease that came with not having anywhere to be for the rest of the day. She quite liked days like this, where she could be alone with her thoughts and wander this city she knew so well. 

When she came to the familiar wrought-iron gates of a cemetery, Rey walked inside, barely avoiding a few mud puddles leftover from yesterday’s rainstorm. The path had been memorized many years ago, and Rey could wander between the right headstones without giving it a second thought.

Finally, she came to the headstone she knew so well.

_  
Tauno & Elizabeth Nolla  
Beloved Parents,  
Gone Too Soon  
January 14, 1999  
_

Rey sighed and knelt down to the ground in front of the shared headstone of her parents. She’d been eight years old when they passed, and her mother’s father had been the only living relative left to help Rey bury her parents. Her father had come to England from Finland for a job, and his parents were quite old even when she was born; she’d only met them once, and she was far too young to remember.

Her grandfather hadn’t been well, though, so Rey had gone into a foster home rather than living with him — her last living relative. He passed merely months later, and with neither parent having any siblings, Rey was all alone.

She’d done well enough in foster care; she lived with a foster family who regularly took on children who were too old for most people to adopt by traditional standards (Rey had strong opinions on that matter to this day), but they cared for her well enough. They were supportive and encouraging, and she never wanted for much. Sure, she wore hand-me-downs most of her life, but she had holiday celebrations and a few gifts for her birthday and Christmas, and Rey was well aware that she was luckier than most orphans in that regard.

“Hi mum, hi dad.”

She leaned back on her heels, not thinking twice about whether she’d get her tunic all dirtied up with mud. It really was a pity, how muddy the cemetery often got. The groundskeepers didn’t do upkeep the way they used to.

“Things have been difficult, recently. I don’t know what to do.”

Very softly, Rey explained the situation to her parents. In a practical sense, she knew they couldn’t hear her, but that was overridden by the serenity granted to her by talking to their gravestone. Whether or not they could hear her was a moot point; what mattered was that she felt a comfort and connection with them. Though she lost them twenty years ago, Rey still yearned for that love and companionship they’d lost out on.

“I care about Hux a lot. I… I don’t want him to resent me. Or for this to come up later and ruin everything,” Rey confessed. She sounded so sad, so tired.

Her chest ached as she thought about all the ways Holdo’s plan could go wrong. She didn’t want to use Hux for fame or publicity. She didn’t want her entire career to be built upon a connection to a man. Rey wanted independence and strength on her own terms, in her own way. She just didn’t know how to make that happen.

“I wish you could have met him,” Rey said wistfully. “You would have liked him. Dad especially. Hux doesn’t say much. Keeps to himself.”

She glanced up at their gravestone. “Sometimes I think about what’ll happen to this place if I leave it. Who will bring you flowers and complain to the church to have someone mow the grass if I’m not here to do it?” Rey felt her lower lip wobbling a bit at the thought. She took a deep breath to try to regain her composure. “I can still have a career here, right?”

She looked around; Wolverhampton wasn’t _small_ by any means. She lived on the outskirts of town where cottages were smaller and streets weren’t as busy, but the fact of the matter was it was a fairly decent-sized metropolitan center. Rey had plenty of opportunities there, if Holdo would just call the right people.

But Hux was in London, and it didn’t much sound like he wanted to leave. 

“I suppose I should stop worrying,” Rey said finally. “Remember when you used to scold me about that, mum? ‘Less worrying, more baking,’ you’d always say.” She laughed a bit at the memory. 

Though Rey often feared her memories were fabricated, invented by a lonely child in the throes of grief, she clung to each and every memory that she could. Whether or not they were real made little difference to her now; so long as she could remember their faces and the sounds of their voices, Rey would be alright. She’d have something to hold onto — memories for nights she was feeling especially lonely.

“The ground is damp and I forgot my tarp blanket,” Rey lamented, squirming on the squishy ground. “I should go home.”

Slowly, she stood, nearly trampling over the flowers she’d bought for their grave. Gently, she laid them in the little metal stand she’d bought to stick into the ground by the gravestone. They looked fitting — bright and beautiful, stark white against the dark marble. Rey always brought daisies when she could find them; they were in every memory she had of her mother. 

“I’m sure I’ll be back soon,” Rey said softly, brushing a small speck of dust off the top of the gravestone. “Love you both.”

Slowly, she walked back towards the gates, leaving the cemetery behind. Unlike when she’d entered, Rey felt a peace deep within her; whatever she chose to do, she knew her parents would support her. Whatever decision she made, it would be the right one for her, and she’d do her very best with the outcome.

Though she was fearful of what might come of it, Rey knew what she had to do next time Holdo called her. She had to be honest about her feelings on the matter, regardless of what others thought about it — Hux most of all. This was Rey’s career, and Rey’s decision. She would do what was best for her, and that would be that.

Rey smiled to herself, eyes focused on the cobblestones beneath her feet.

She appreciated moments like these, when her stubbornness worked out in her favor.


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Holdo works persistently to push Rey's career forward, Rey grapples with how to reconcile her life and her values with what Holdo wants her to be. And still, there's Hux, and a new relationship that Rey's still learning how to navigate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has come on this continuation of the Bake-Off adventure. I want to mention that this chapter and the next are very much transition periods before another big plot point... I do hope you'll stick it out for the excitement that is the end of their Bake-Off journey <3

Holdo scheduled the next several meetings with Rey over Skype call rather than in person, partially because of Rey’s complaints about having to travel so often. It was also because the viewers of _Bake-Off_ quickly caught on to the concept of Rey and Hux as a couple — faster, even, than the two had actually confessed feelings to each other.

In their watch-through of week two’s episode, Rey blushed furiously when it was pointed out to her that she’d unknowingly stared an unnaturally long amount of time at Hux’s bum as he’d crouched down in front of his oven whilst checking on his biscotti. 

What’s worse was when she texted Hux to complain about her friends’ ruthless teasing, but he did nothing but pile onto what they were already saying. Of course he chose that moment to unabashedly show his sense of humor.

Clearly, the universe was against her.

The first meeting with Holdo since Rey’s most recent trip to London took place the next day, and already, the hashtag _reyux_ was trending on Twitter. Holdo made quite the ruckus about it when they connected via Skype.

“I’m telling you, Rey… this relationship of yours could be your ticket to the bigger and brighter things you have pictured in your future,” Holdo insisted, smiling at Rey as though she already thought she’d changed Rey’s mind.

“Thanks, but… I _really_ don’t want to use him like that.”

Holdo tipped her head to the side. “Would you be, though? If anything, he’d be using _you_. If you ride this relationship wave… _hashtag Reyux_ ,” she added with a laugh, “and it jump-starts your career, it’ll also jump-start _his_ career. We don’t even need to air the rest of the series to know that you and Hux are going to be the audience favorites.”

“I think we can do it another way,” Rey said stubbornly. “I don’t want to use him, I don’t want people to think he’s using me, because you _know_ they would — the internet is awful — I just…” she trailed off, trying to gather her thoughts. “There’s another way to do this.”

Holdo shook her head. “It probably won’t be as successful, though.”

“Will you at least hear me out?” Rey pleaded.

With a sigh, Holdo leaned back in her fancy leather chair. She considered the request for a moment and then nodded. “Sure. I’ll hear you out. What’s your idea?”

——

**When’s the next trip to London town?**

Rey smiled at the text as soon as her phone dinged. Things were horribly slow at work, and she was the only one until closing at four. There were still forty-five minutes left of her shift before Rey could even consider beginning to clean things up and get ready to flip the sign on the door. There was a young couple in the corner with two beautiful daughters, laughing and smiling and sharing some scones they’d bought from the display.

Scones that Rey could have made much better than the person who’d _actually_ made them.

She felt no guilt in pulling her phone from her apron pocket and tapping out a reply: _not sure. Holdo seems fond of skype now._

It was slightly disappointing, given that Rey actually quite liked spending time with Hux, but at the same time her bank account was quite grateful for the reprieve. Not to mention, her bosses seemed happier, too, now that Rey was around more often to work.

**That’s too bad. I’ve redone my bathroom. You’d like it.**

Rey laughed. She definitely hadn’t expected him to say _that_. One of the small girls at the table noticed Rey and waved at her. Wearing her brightest, happiest smile, Rey waved back. The girl giggled shyly and turned back to her scone.

_oh? what did you do to it?_

Though she was eager to see his answer, Rey had to pocket her phone as soon as she heard the bell above the door ring. Customers had arrived.

It was another one of their regulars, and Rey whipped up their order before they even had to ask for it — they were coming in for tea and scones, and Rey whipped up the entire tray of fixings before the couple could tell her what they wanted. “Bless you, dear,” said the elderly man.

“We saw you on the telly last night,” added his wife as she tucked an extra couple of pounds in Rey’s hand as she shook it. “You did wonderfully. We’re so proud of our hometown girl.”

“Thank you,” Rey said, unable to fight the smile.

For as much as she grumbled about her job, primarily because of her bosses, she’d never once wager a complaint about the customers. She loved each and every person who came into the shop, especially the regulars. They were her de-facto grandparents and parents, many of them even stubbornly claiming the title after asking Rey enough about herself that they discovered she’d lost all her family members at a young age.

This couple, Marjorie and Arnold, were some of Rey’s favorites. Often, she didn’t charge them for refills of tea or clotted cream. The shop made enough money as it was, and it was the least she could do given how often they slipped her extra tips in handshakes or holiday cards.

“Can you tell us how you do?” Arnold asked hopefully.

Rey shook her head. “I’m afraid not,” she said. 

She desperately wanted to add, _but if you think about how many weekends in a row I didn’t work here, you’ll have your answer_ , but she’d promised not to spoil anything. She was legally obligated not to spoil anything.

Rey’s phone buzzed insistently in her pocket, but she helped Marjorie and Arnold bring their tray to their usual window in front by the window and helped them get settled in. “Well, best of luck to you, darling,” Marjorie said sweetly. “We’re proud of you no matter where you finished in the _Bake-Off_.”

“Thank you so much,” Rey smiled. 

These were the people she adored, what she cherished most about her job. They were why she wasn’t eager to up and leave for London… or a large part of it, anyway. Her regulars at the cafe were as close to a family as she’d ever had, aside from her friends… and the regulars had known her longer. It’d be a shame to leave them, to potentially miss the last few moments she could get with them.

Once Marjorie and Arnold were settled in, Rey returned to the counter and checked her phone.

**You’ll have to wait and see. Care to visit London for pleasure rather than work?**

Rey’s cheeks flushed crimson as she remembered what she’d done the first time she’d spent time in London with Hux. That night had been a fairy tale, something out of a dream. Hux had bought her a beautiful dress and helped her fulfill a dream from her childhood, and they’d made love that night. Rey didn’t use that term lightly, either. In fact — she downright despised it. But it was impossible to describe what they’d done in any other words but those.

While they still made her cringe, she had a greater understanding for the meaning behind them. And now…

_you mean travel to london for a booty call?_

As soon as she hit send, Rey cringed; it sounded worse than she’d intended, but didn’t know how to gracefully backtrack.

Thankfully, Hux seemed to be right there in the chat window, and had typed out a response almost immediately.

**I do hope I’m more than that. I meant for fun, rather than business.**

**But I suppose we could do that, too.**

Rey stared at the screen, overthinking everything. He sounded unhappy, but how much could one convey via text message, anyway? This was just the way he wrote text messages: proper punctuation, facts, and zero emojis or web acronyms. In fact, he _almost_ seemed like he was joking around with her. _Almost_.

She helped another customer at the counter and mulled over what sort of response to craft before she actually tapped out a reply.

_bosses are on vacation until next sat. but maybe after that?_

_we need to be careful, though._

Rey busied herself with the kettle, making more tea for the regulars who always came in an hour before closing and had tea with whatever croissants were leftover at the end of the day — these two women would come in, gossip, have tea, and knit. They’d taught Rey how to knit several years prior, and were bright, boisterous women who always brightened her day.

It also meant that she got waylaid by conversation with these women and didn’t have a chance to look at her phone until the sign on the door had been flipped, the floors had been mopped, and the dishes had been washed.

**I have plenty of condoms.**

Rey snorted; that wasn’t at all what she’d meant, but she appreciated the thought he’d put into this sort of thing. She assumed he’d purchased a box not long before their night at the ballet, so of course he’d have more lying around his room. But… she was thinking about something else.

_thats sweet of you!_

_I actually meant cuz #reyux is a thing_

_holdo said we need to try not to be seen in public til the show ends. because spoilers_

As she gathered her things and switched off the lights, Rey thought about it — she’d really like to see him again, and she did truly enjoy London, but she wondered whether it’d be feasible to visit now that Holdo had asked them not to be seen in public too much.

That advice seemed at odds with the plan she’d wanted them to follow, though… maybe it was now Rey’s rule, not Holdo’s rule, that was keeping her from making a leisurely trip to London to see her boyfriend.

Just like every Tuesday, Poe was out front with his Vespa, ready to take her back to their flat. He finished work just down the street not too long before her and always brought her home with him.

For a brief moment in time, the two of them had toyed with the idea of dating, but that quickly shifted to friendship. Rey was still grateful for him, though, and appreciated his brotherly relationship more than she’d ever be able to put into words. She thought about asking him for advice, but she was fairly certain she already knew what he’d say: date Hux and fuck the rest.

He was brilliantly well-spoken like that.

Rey checked her phone only after she had the chance to disappear to her room after she got home. She’d briefly said hello to Rose and stopped at the fridge to grab an apple, but that was it. After flopping down onto her bed, Rey retrieved her phone from her pocket.

**I see.**

**I suppose I’ll see you next time business calls, then?**

That wasn’t his text messaging style messing with her brain. No, that time he was upset, and he’d made it obvious. Rey’s chest twisted and she frowned as her thumbs hovered over the buttons. What could she possibly say to backtrack and save the situation?

_I really want to see you! I promise!_

As she laid there on her bed, Rey fiddled with her Instagram, and then with her Facebook; both had gone radio silent since Holdo had asked for the logins, to be sure nobody could hack her information and spread any unsavory things about Rey online. 

Rey felt like Holdo was fiercely overestimating Rey’s appeal to the mass audiences, as well as whatever penchant Rey might have for mischief. Aside from potentially one video of her rapping while wine-drunk or the night she and Poe sang karaoke at a bar on Christmas Eve, Rey really didn’t have anything incriminating on any of her social media.

But now a brand expert was helping her with her Instagram — Rey still didn’t know how she felt about that — and her Facebook was locked down beyond comprehension. 

Rey waited and waited for Hux to respond, but he didn’t. She told herself he was just busy with his commute home, that it was about that time of day anyway and that he’d message when it was next convenient for him, but it was still nerve-wracking. She felt like she’d messed up, somehow. 

Like she’d let Holdo get too far into her head, make too many decisions for her.

When she still hadn’t heard back from Hux by the time she was getting ready for bed, Rey made the courageous decision to be that girl and text him again.

_do you want to come visit me?_

——

Rey and Holdo had another meeting that Friday, just before the weekend, and shortly before week three would air on the telly. 

“Alright, Rey. We’ve considered your proposal for a new approach to your branding, and I think it can work,” Holdo said, cutting to the chase as soon as the conversation began.

Rey’s eyes lit up, but when Holdo didn’t say more, she became worried. Often, Holdo’s silence meant she had more of a plan in her head than she’d shared out loud, and that was often a terrifying thing. She was brilliant, but was hesitant to let anyone in on her plans — much to the chagrin of many of her clients and coworkers.

“We need Hux to be part of the deal,” Holdo said finally. “If we play on this whole ‘found family’ idea — recipes inspired by your friends, your regulars at work… it only makes sense that your significant other would also be included.”

Quietly, Rey mulled over the counter-offer. It wasn’t ideal, but it made sense. It was a logical compromise, all things considered. But it still wasn’t sitting well with Rey.

“What happens if we break up?”

The fear had been on her mind lately, ever since her text conversation with Hux a few days prior. He’d responded, of course, but noncommittally, and in a way that made Rey feel unsettled and nervous. He took hours to respond to each message, which was silly… Rey knew full well he had iMessage attached to his MacBook, and received her texts as soon as she sent them whether or not he had his phone with him.

It was an altogether infuriating place to be — there, in his life, but not really _there_. No longer a priority. It stung.

“Why would you break up? You two looked so happy at the final.”

“I’d just _won_ ,” Rey said bluntly. “And… long distance relationships are hard.”

“I told you, just move to London.”

Rey pinched the bridge of her nose and looked away from the screen; sometimes she felt like Holdo was listening, but not actually _listening_. She had her own plan in mind, opinions of others be damned. 

“Get me an advance on the book deal and then I can probably move,” Rey said. “But I won’t make any promises until I know how much I’d get.”

Holdo laughed, but not a good laugh. It was a slightly condescending laugh, as though Rey was silly for making any such demands. It made Rey’s blood boil.

“We already signed the book deal. There’s no advance. If this one sells well, they’re willing to offer an advance on the second one — which is why I really want you to consider this thing with Hux and how you can both use it to your advantage. Author this book, co-author the next one with him… you’ll be Britain’s next favorite couple! Nearly as famous as Will and Kate! Harry and Meghan! You’re baking _royalty_.”

“I —”

“Gather some recipes from your friends, come out to London next week for a meeting with your ghost writer and the publisher. We can see if they’ll reconsider a bit of an advance, and we’ll see if this ‘recipes from friends’ bollocks is as good as you think it will be,” Holdo instructed. “See you Thursday!”

Before Rey could get in another word edgewise, Holdo ended the call.

Rey growled in frustration and slammed her laptop shut.

Timidly, Rose peeked her head around the doorframe. “Everything okay?”

Rose was on her way out the door, Rey assumed, given the way she was already dressed in her wellies and raincoat. 

“Yeah,” Rey lied. She nodded for good measure. “Just fine. I’ll be in tip-top shape once I have some coffee. Nothing to worry about.”

The way Rose raised her eyebrow told Rey that there was, in fact, plenty of things over which Rose would worry. But Rey couldn’t prevent that, so she ought to just accept it and move on with her day.

She was almost sick with nerves when she texted Hux about it.

_what are you doing next thursday?_

Rey busied herself with making a cake — not for any particular reason, mostly just because it calmed her — and pointedly ignored her phone. She didn’t want to be that person who checked her phone constantly, hoping to hear back from her boyfriend. She felt silly, mooning over him like that. And it was clear to her that Hux wasn’t doing the same in response.

Once the cake was in the oven, she checked her phone to see if he’d responded yet.

**Picking you up from Paddington Station, I assume?**

Nervously, Rey asked: _is that okay?_

Ever since she’d worried that she’d upset him, Rey had been reading far too much into each and every text message she received from Hux. 

**Of course. How long will you be staying?**

Rey frowned and rifled around for her schedule. She’d scribbled it down on a napkin, as she always did, and it was around the kitchen _somewhere_. When she finally retrieved it, she looked it over before responding to Hux.

_I can stay until sunday_

Rey then busied herself with the frosting for her cake, even though it wouldn’t be done for a while. It was a simple buttercream, and it could sit on the counter while the cake cooled if it had to. More than anything, she wanted something to do with her hands to keep herself from checking her phone again.

Her curiosity got the better of her, though, and as her buttercream was whipping away, she checked to see what he’d said.

**Ok.**

It was irrationally stupid, how much pain those two letters could make Rey feel, but as soon as she read them that’s exactly what happened. Her chest felt tight, and she suddenly felt fearful.

Was she sabotaging her own relationship somehow?

She wouldn’t put it past herself.

**Text me your journey details when you buy tickets.**

In stubborn retaliation, Rey didn’t text him back.

——

Rey spent her weekend with Finn, Poe, and Rose, the four of them going out for drinks one evening, and staying in for a movie night the next. It was a wonderful way for Rey to take her mind off of things and just relax. It felt like the easier days, before _Bake-Off_ and the wave of success Rey was still riding from the show’s conclusion.

Saturday night, buried under piles of blankets with plenty of empty beer bottles lying around various surfaces with more in their hands, the four of them sat around the living room of Rey and Rose’s flat, a movie rolling in the background. It was one of the Harry Potter movies, but they’d long since forgotten which one they were on now, their heads consumed with the wonderful buzz of too many beers on a lazy evening.

“So, how’s your love life going, Rey?” Finn asked hopefully.

As soon as he uttered the question, Rose kicked him rather fiercely beneath the quilt they shared. Rose was nestled on Finn’s lap in the easy chair, and she was at the perfect angle to aim a kick at his shin.

Rey was seated at the end of the couch furthest from the two of them, with Poe spanning the sofa and using her lap as a pillow. 

Rey shook her head and pretended to be interested in the movie, even though she didn’t quite care for Harry Potter, truth be told.

“Rey?” Finn pressed. 

Poe tipped his head back so he could look up at Rey through his messy curls. “Oh no, did you guys break up?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. But he’s not happy with me. And to be honest… I don’t blame him much.”

Rose furrowed her brow. “What are you _talking_ about? You told me he seemed mad at you because you weren’t going to go to London for a few days for _fun_ between all your business trips there. I’d _definitely_ blame him.”

Frowning, Rey shook her head. “I’m pretty sure he’s more upset by the fact that, last I heard, Holdo told us we shouldn’t be seen together in public whilst the show is airing.”

“Oh, that,” Rose said. “Well, that’s stupid, since she _also_ wants you to use your relationship with him as a way to build your brand.”

Poe tipped back his bottle of beer, gulping down several big swigs. “This chick sounds like a pain in the ass.”

“You definitely wouldn’t get along with her,” Rey said with amusement. “I don’t mind her, most of the time. But I really wish she’d let me make more decisions for myself. This is my career, after all.”

“Instead of fighting, why don’t the two of you just team up and do a cookbook and a show and all that stuff?” Finn suggested. “Would it really be that bad of an idea?”

Rose sighed patronizingly. “That’s exactly what Holdo wants Rey to do, but Rey’s worried it’ll lead to resentment in the relationship, which is totally valid, but also not as big of a thing to worry about as she thinks it is.”

“Guys,” Rey protested.

Poe sat up cross legged next to Rey on the sofa. “I don’t know, I mean… I see both sides I guess. Nobody’s ever done the _Bake-Off’s Cutest Couple_ attempt after the show — it’s been, what… only a few people have really tried to rise up on the fame the show brought them, haven’t they?”

“Not helping,” Rose intoned.

“I don’t want to be _famous_ ,” Rey protested. “I’m not going to bake for the bloody Queen like Nadiya did, alright? But… if I can bring in some extra cash from a book deal or two, and some revenue on this blog I’m doing, and… maybe all of this will mean someone takes me seriously and lets me work in their bakery. I can be more than a counter girl.”

The other three were quiet, studying Rey through the dim light coming from the TV. 

After a brief moment, Rose asked, “And have you told Holdo that?”

Rey frowned, and the group had their answer. 

In no time at all, the new week had begun and everyone was back to work. The gang gathered together to watch week three of _Bake-Off_ — the first week in which Rey could consciously remember paying Hux any mind at all. She’d been annoyed with him for over-kneading his bread yet still winning Star Baker. 

Though Ben and Phasma both had stellar weeks that week, as well, Hux still came out on top — and by the end of the episode, even Rey could see why _#reyux_ was trending on Twitter, even if she’d thought people were just imagining it last time she’d heard about it.

There were far more shots than she’d expected of her glancing over at Hux, and Hux glancing back at her. They even sat next to each other for the blind-judging of their technical bakes, and Rey had to admit that they looked quite good next to each other. And that was before they dressed up for the ballet.

It was the first time she’d truly looked at them, side by side, and saw the appeal. The attraction. She could understand why the audiences liked them, both individually and together. Hux’s interviews for the camera had snappy, dry wit — not nearly as stone-faced and sullen as he projected himself to be to the rest of the bakers. 

It seemed as though he wasn’t afraid to let the _true_ Armitage Hux shine through in the interviews. Pragmatic and factual, but able to crack a joke if the moment called for it.

Rey would never admit it to her friends, but she’d swooned a bit that night, watching his post-Star Baker accolade interview. His cheeks were ever so slightly tinted pink, and he hadn’t been able to fight the smug smile that shone on his face after he’d finished speaking.

As angry as she was about it — he’d deserved that win. He’d worked hard that week, and it took a lot to impress Paul Hollywood when it came to bread.

Rey thought about texting Hux to tell him that, but thought that texting with him might be more trouble that it was worth, given their rocky standing with each other. Instead, she made a mental note to say something to him about it on Thursday, when she arrived in London. She wanted them to be in a better place. 

She hoped that by Thursday, it wouldn’t be too late.

——

Rey had knots in her stomach when she arrived at Paddington Station on Thursday evening. Hux would be meeting her in their usual place, but from there, she didn’t know what would happen. Part of her was too afraid to ask.

He greeted her with the usual hug, and a soft kiss against her temple, and her nerves were quelled somewhat. There was still an uncertainty, but not nearly as much. 

Hux took the handle of her suitcase for her, and together they walked the six or so blocks to his flat; it was a beautiful night out, so it would have been a waste not to walk.

As they did, they were mostly quiet, and they didn’t hold hands.

“Hux —”

“Not here.”

Rey could think of nothing but her anxiety the rest of the journey back to Hux’s flat, and worried about what came next. 

Once they were behind the closed doors of his apartment, Rey turned to Hux and opened her mouth, ready to ask a question in a much more accusatorial tone than was entirely necessary.

Thankfully, Hux interrupted her before she could say something stupid.

“I’ve missed you.”

Rey tilted her head to the side, brow furrowed. The look on his face told her that the confusion clear across her face was hurting his feelings. 

“Why is that shocking?”

Desperately, Rey tried to school her expression into something more neutral. “I just —” she took a deep breath. “We haven’t exactly been all that chatty this week.”

“I didn’t have much to say,” Hux argued. “I went to work, then I came home. Repeat.”

Rey crossed her arms. “You and I both know more happened than that. You’re mad about the Holdo stuff, and I’m hurt that you don’t want to visit Wolverhampton, and —”

“Okay, so we need to have a talk. Can you not raise your voice?”

“I wasn’t.”

Hux pursed his lips, letting Rey hear the way her voice was echoing around the room. He raised an eyebrow, wordlessly asking her if she’d realized yet that he was right, and she needed to quiet down.

She rolled her eyes and sat down on the sofa. Hux, though he desperately wanted to, didn’t say a word about the fact that she was still wearing her Keds. Hux perched on the arm of the sofa and watched Rey. She suddenly felt incredibly aware of their age gap — he was six years older than her, and right now she was acting every bit like a child in comparison to him.

“Petulance is not a good look on you.”

Rey looked up darkly. “I didn’t come all this way just to argue with you.”

Hux’s expression remained carefully, _dangerously_ neutral. “You came all this way for your _career_ ,” he reminded her. His voice was smooth and calm — unwavering in a way that made Rey angry. She couldn’t read him when he got like this. “And yes, you’re right. I’m unhappy with Holdo for a whole host of reasons — the primary being how miserable she’s making you, _not_ her opinions on what we should do about our relationship and the public eye.”

Rey didn’t look away, nor did she let her defenses drop. She had no idea if this was going to blow up into a bigger fight, or if they were going to somehow talk their way out of this mess.

“Now — if you want my full opinion, Holdo’s idea isn’t that bad. We came out of the show a couple, and that’s something no other contestants have done. We’re already a fan favorite — as are you, individually — so it wouldn’t be the worst idea to collaborate on a few blog posts or recipes for your book, at the very least. A whole cookbook is a possibility, as well. But I don’t want to steal your spotlight. You were the clear winner of the show, and you earned that spot above me,” Hux said. 

He kept his voice so neutral that it almost terrified Rey.

“You should also know that I enjoy what I do. Numbers and banking are of great interest to me. I’m good at what I do, and the job pays well. I didn’t go onto _Bake-Off_ to make a career change. You did,” he continued.

“So… if you’re fine with all of this, why didn’t you just say so?”

“I _did_. You’re too stubborn for your own good.”

Rey was quiet. She had a vague recollection of Hux telling her he didn’t mind, but he’d never gone quite so in-depth, so as to make her feel better about it all. But that still didn’t resolve the biggest worry Rey had had in her head for days.

“Why don’t you want to come visit me?”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Rey frowned. She hadn’t meant to sound so whiny, so hurt. She wasn’t that girl — Hux was a grown man and if he didn’t feel like going up to Wolverhampton for a weekend, then he didn’t have to. Not even for Rey — she couldn’t _make_ him, at any rate.

“It seemed a bad idea, given the way Holdo wants us to keep this relationship a mystery until the right time. After the final, I believe you said?” Rey nodded. “You’ve told me many times that people around town have recognized you on the telly — all of your regulars, the ones who like you and the ones who don’t. We can’t exactly keep a low profile in a smaller town like Wolverhampton.”

“It’s not _that_ small,” Rey grumbled.

“On the outskirts where you live, it is,” Hux argued.

“Well —” Rey protested, grappling for _something_ to use to argue against Hux, to keep him from making such a spectacularly well thought out and logical point. “Those old ladies don’t know how to use a dial telephone, never mind social media. Word wouldn’t get out.”

Hux almost smiled. “True, but they gossip, and all the young regulars as well as the grandchildren of those gossiping old ladies know how to use it, and they _would_. Could you imagine the field day if one of those women said they spotted us together, and suddenly their granddaughter was leading the charge on Twitter?” He paused. “People _ship_ us, you know.”

Rey laughed and nodded. “I know. I’ve been checking the hashtag every day.”

“How much abuse is there?” Hux asked, sliding off the arm of the sofa to sit next to Rey properly.

Rey shrugged. “Not as much as I expected.”

“What’s the worst criticism?”

She giggled. “The very same thing I told my friends — that we’re acting more like we think we auditioned for _Love Island_ than as though we’d auditioned for _Bake-Off_. Which is complete bollocks, considering we’ve only _looked_ at each other!”

“That’s all it takes these days, I suppose,” Hux said, his amusement sparkling in his eyes. 

Rey laughed, all anxieties quickly gone from her body. “God, just wait until the episode when we hold hands.”

“The closest thing to a sex scene _Bake-Off_ will ever get… a potential couple, holding hands during elimination,” Hux mocked.

Rey burst out laughing, and was pleased when Hux did the same. They’d miraculously, somehow broken the tension and it felt so, so good.

——

“So, what time do you need to go back tomorrow?”

They’d never actually talked about Rey’s return journey to Wolverhampton; she’d been avoiding that conversation because it was really the last thing she wanted to think about. Leaving London meant leaving Hux, and also leaving the city where she was trying to start her career. It meant having to pay for another journey back — but she still knew she couldn’t make the move. Not yet. She had her lease in Wolverhampton with Rose, and she had her job at the cafe.

Rey sighed. They were lounging around on the sofa, the TV already switched off for the night. Hux’s arm was draped around Rey’s shoulder and she sat with her stocking feet propped up on the coffee table. She was half-asleep, and didn’t want to think about it.

Rather than answering, Rey groaned and rolled inwards, tucking her knees to her chest as she buried her face in his chest. “I don’t wanna,” she mumbled.

Hux danced his fingers in the loose ends of her hair where it splayed across her shoulder. “I’ve told you many times, you don’t have to.”

Rey sighed. That’s not what she’d been expecting him to say; she’d just wanted sympathy. “I… it’s so complicated. And this is so _new_ ,” she lamented. “I don’t want to ruin it.”

“You wouldn’t ruin anything,” Hux insisted. “We could even convert the office to a bedroom if that’s what you’re worried about. It’s meant to be a bedroom, anyway.”

Rey was quiet. He’d told her many times that she could move in — it would be easier, cheaper in the long run — but they’d only been together a few months. It was insane. And it wouldn’t be fair to Rose.

She couldn’t find the words to say. That he felt they were that strong in their relationship meant a lot to her.

But Rey was strong, and she was independent, and she couldn’t accept his offer.

Hux seemed to know this, even though Rey didn’t say a word. “Just think about it,” he whispered.

Still curled up against his side, Rey nodded. She wouldn’t, but it was the answer he was looking for, and she just didn’t feel like fighting.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life for Rey after Bake-Off ended keeps barreling forward -- even if she may not be prepared for it. Though her well-intentioned boyfriend and best friends had nothing to do with it, Rey is still suspicious, and she's beginning to make changes she wasn't sure she was ready for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again to all of you who are reading and following along! I can excitedly confirm that this fic, like the original before it, will be 6 chapters long :)

“Rey. Quit your job. You’re moving to London.”

Rey sat in the middle of her bed, cross legged with several journals strewn about and her laptop perched precariously at the corner. She’d been desperately trying to gather up recipes and ideas for her book deal, now that it had been approved, but she felt overwhelmed by the task. She could really use Hux’s help, with his far superior organizational skills. But alas, he was in London, and Rey was not.

“Um… what?”

Holdo had called her out of nowhere — they usually spoke on Tuesdays in order to sort out whether Rey would need to spend the upcoming weekend in London. She didn’t, usually, which was why this unplanned Thursday afternoon call was so shocking.

“We have an investor.”

“A what?”

Holdo sighed and Rey could audibly hear the frustration emanating from the older woman. She was clearly not up for the task of explaining things to Rey thoroughly.

“Someone is investing in you and your future. Think of it like a grant, or a scholarship. Basically, it’s the money you’ve been looking for in order to move to London and really launch your career.”

Rey frowned. Had Hux gone around her and decided to go through Holdo instead? Given the number of times he’s offered his help — both bluntly and inadvertently — it wouldn’t surprise her. In fact, it upset her a little bit.

“But —” Rey began.

“Don’t you dare argue. The money has already been accepted and put into an account here. We’ll help you manage it, invest a slight amount to keep multiplying the funds as you work towards this new career of yours,” Holdo said. There was a shuffling at the end of the line and Rey had a sneaking suspicion she’d already started working on someone else’s account as she explained the details to Rey. “Long story short, put in your notice at work and hop a train sometime this weekend. I’ve set up visits to some flats for you next week. Monday through Wednesday.”

“I — this is very short notice,” Rey said, her brow furrowed. She wanted to be angry. Inside, she was angry. But out loud, she just sounded like she was whining. “And what about Rose?”

“We’ll route whatever your bit of the rent you owe for the rest of your lease to her when you choose a flat out here,” Holdo said simply. “Now, it’s time to end this call and quit your old job, Rey. Time to move forward. Be that baker you’ve always wanted to be. Make your parents proud.”

Rey’s frown grew as the words settled upon her. Without any confirmation or even a hint of a goodbye, Holdo ended the call. Rey looked up at the door, knowing Rose was on the other side, but not knowing what she’d say. 

As she glanced back down at her phone, Rey took a deep breath and tried to push away her annoyance. She didn’t want to accuse Hux of anything, but she had a sneaking suspicion it was he who had given all this money. She didn’t even know how much it was. But it was still a donation to try to start her off, and Rey had been very, very firm on one thing: she wanted to do this by herself, on her own terms.

After taking a deep breath to calm herself, Rey dialed Hux’s number and listened as it rang. On the third ring, he answered.

“Hello?”

“Hi,” Rey breathed. _Don’t shout. Don’t be mad. Just ask him why._ She repeated the words in her head.

“How are you?”

She hesitated. How honest should she be? As she ruminated on what to say, her silence did the job for her.

“Ah. What happened?”

“Someone _invested_ in me,” she said slowly.

The line went dead silent. Rey had no idea whether that meant Hux had been found out and was worried about the consequences, or if he truly didn’t know what to say.

“Was it you?” she asked. She had to know. There was no waiting any longer.

“Given that I’m not entirely sure what you even mean by _invested_ , it’s safe to say that it was not me,” Hux replied. 

He sounded curt, his voice tighter than it had been when he’d answered. Rey was inclined to believe him, even with no further questions or any more explanation.

Rey sighed and explained the situation. She told Hux that somebody had routed money for the sole purpose of helping her through Holdo and her agency. The money was already being handled, as was the arrangements for her move to London.

“This is good,” Hux said, though his voice implied it was anything but. 

“It wasn’t you?”

He was quiet. “No. It wasn’t. Had I known it was an option, though…”

“I’m not happy about it.”

Rey was very firm about that, very sure in what she was saying to him. It made her very unhappy, that someone had gone over her head in an attempt to help her. Even more frustrating was that she didn’t know who’d done it, so she couldn’t even properly shout at someone for it.

“I suppose it’s good, you being out here. It’ll save you money on all those train tickets.”

“But —”

Rey stopped herself. The words she’d been about to say sounded whiny and selfish, even in her head. She’d only feel worse if she actually uttered them.

When she didn’t speak, she hoped that he would. But Hux kept quiet, too, and it was clear that neither of them was very happy about the situation. For a moment, Rey wondered if maybe she should say something, but every time she thought such a thing, words failed her. She didn’t know what to say to her own boyfriend. And apparently he didn’t know what to say to her either.

Finally, he broke the silence.

“I’m sorry it’s not happening your way. But I will be quite glad to have you a little closer. We can be a little more spontaneous.”

Rey snorted, a smile crossing her face for the first time since before Holdo’s call. “You hate spontaneity.”

“In this instance, I think it will be good for us.”

Surprised by his reaction, Rey could think of nothing else to say but, “Okay.”

The line was quiet again, but the awkwardness was gone. Rey now completely believed that he had no hand in this mysterious investment in her future, but felt frustrated at the same time because neither of them had any idea, and she wanted to _know_.

“I’ll be seeing you soon then, I suppose.”

Rey smiled. That thought pushed all the frustration from her mind. She had another excuse to see him, and would have even more in the very near future. 

“I’ll text you my journey details when I book the tickets.”

“See you soon.”

Now more at ease, Rey put her phone down and looked around at the mess she’d surrounded herself with on her bed. It was very unlikely that she’d get any more work done that day. She had news to share with her friends.

Not happy news, necessarily, but news all the same. And Rey had no idea how they’d take it.

——

Predictably, Rose’s first concern was money, but Rey reassured her that Holdo was taking care of it. They were both skeptical, of course, but it would do for now.

“I’m getting all the details this weekend, I promise.”

Poe and Finn were there, too, settled in on the sofa where the three of them had been watching some _Black Mirror_ on the telly. “What about the cafe?”

Rey’s silence spoke volumes. She dreaded what she had to do, but there were no two ways about it. The next morning, she’d have to go in on her day off and let them know she’d be leaving. The job that helped her to earn all the success she’d gained was now going to become just a speck on the horizon in her rearview mirror. 

Though she hated how restricting her bosses were, Rey also didn’t want to let them down. She owed them so much. 

“They’re not gonna be happy.”

“Poe,” admonished Finn and Rose at the same time.

Rey sighed. “I know. If I had my way…”

“We know,” Rose interrupted. “You’d still be here, not needing to quit your job, because you stubbornly won’t accept help.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Rey asked, “It wasn’t any of you, was it?”

Rose snorted, and Finn raised an eyebrow at her. Poe straight up started laughing and said, “You think any of us have that kind of money?”

“Yeah, we love you, Rey, but none of us have that kind of money,” Finn added.

“It’s sweet of you to think so, though,” Rose finished, her words like a balm after Poe and Finn’s prickly responses.

Rey had tried not to react, but their words had stung a little. The more she asked, the more questions she had. If it wasn’t her friends and it wasn’t Hux… who had “invested” in her? Why hadn’t they just talked to her about it?

It was pointless to try to figure it out, so instead Rey let herself be distracted by a gigantic bowl of popcorn and a mini marathon of _Black Mirror_ on Netflix. She’d buy her train tickets in the morning.

——

Rey’s gaze was distant as she looked out the window, Paddington Station up ahead. It was her penultimate trip to London. After this, she’d be moving. That would be it.

Her life in Wolverhampton, the only life she’d ever known, was going to come to an end.

But Hux was in that station, and he was the bright spot in all the chaos of starting this new post- _Bake-Off_ life. And what she was looking forward to more than anything was getting wrapped up in a big hug in that station and ignoring everything until her meeting with Holdo the next morning.

When Rey arrived at the station, she was disappointed that Hux was nowhere in sight, no flash of red hair, no tall, towering man in a suit. He was nowhere. 

She tried to ignore the sinking feeling in her chest, that he hadn’t remembered. It was unlikely — he lived and died by his Google Calendar, she’d learned — but something had come up to make him not come to the station. And Rey was crushed.

On her way out of the station, Rey spotted a man in a suit holding a sign with her name on it. The man wasn’t Hux, but the sign said Rey Nolla and she froze. Something was happening.

The entire week had been very off-kilter and she didn’t like it. This was only compounding that.

Finally, she approached the man with the sign. “Um… why does your sign have my name on it?”

“Miss Nolla,” he said with a posh British accent. “I’m Edward. I’m here to pick you up.”

Rey frowned. “Where’s Hux?”

From his words, Rey surmised that Edward was some sort of driver, and she felt a flare of frustration that after the surprise “investment” in her future earlier in the week. The last thing she wanted was for someone to spend even more money on her unnecessarily.

“He’s waiting for you at our destination. Please, come with me.”

She followed Edward out of the station, directly to a cab. He loaded her bag into the boot of the car, opened the door for her, and helped her in. Rey looked down at her string of text messages with Hux — he hadn’t hinted at this at all, and he’s known for weeks that she doesn’t like big displays.

Something wasn’t adding up.

Instead of texting him something accusatory or angry, Rey pocketed her cell phone. As the car pulled away from the curb, Rey’s forehead touched the cool glass of the window and she watched the people on the sidewalks, blurred by the rain on the windows, as the car cruised the streets of London. Wherever she was being taken, Rey really wasn’t interested. She just wanted to relax.

But then the car pulled up outside of Hux’s flat, and she was even more confused than before.

It had been such a short drive. And to go where she already knew how to get to?

Umbrella at the ready, Edward walked around the car and opened the door for Rey, holding it high above her head to prevent her from getting wet from the rain. They then retrieved her luggage and he led Rey to the front doors of Hux’s flat. 

Just inside the front entry, Rey bid Edward goodbye and then took a deep breath. She knew that Hux meant well; he probably hired a driver because he’s busy, and besides, it was raining more heavily than usual.

Already familiar with the path up to his flat, Rey entered the lift and took some more deep breaths. All her frustration from the past few days should be pushed away because Hux had never once done anything to deserve her ire. She was frustrated with the situation, not him. Her struggle now lay in balancing that frustration and the ranting she _knew_ she needed to do with ensuring she didn’t come across as being angry at _him_. 

When the lift arrived on the correct floor, Rey instantly smelled something delicious. She hoped deep down that Hux had cooked, but also recalled him saying that work had been busy for him that week. It’s not likely he cooked. They weren’t quite at the point of spontaneous romantic gestures in the mid-week… right?

Rey knocked on the door, and then slowly let herself in, taking care not to startle him. “Hux?”

The smell grew stronger as she entered, and sizzling sounds from the kitchen told her that he had, in fact, cooked for her.

Any anger she’d felt at the cab and the driver and the sign… it was all gone. He looked up at her, a strange mixture of worry and happiness on his face. Meanwhile, Rey didn’t know how she felt or what her face was doing. It was all quite overwhelming, and the events of the week only compiled with the emotions she felt at the gesture to render her speechless.

Hux slung a towel over his shoulder and turned a few hobs on the stovetop down before crossing the kitchen to her. He looked smart in his button down shirt and trousers, the shirt’s sleeves rolled up to his elbows as he cooked. He had one lone strand of hair swooping down into his eyes, and his expression was almost fully concern now. Something on Rey’s face had worried him.

In seconds, his arms were around her, and Rey melted into the hug. She closed her eyes and breathed him in, the smell of dinner on his clothes, mixed with his cologne and soap, the most soothing scent she could imagine. Her arms held his waist tight as she tucked her head beneath his chin. 

Though her world was full of uncertainty and upheaval, and she was constantly worried that her lack of stability in that part of her life made her a volatile and unpleasant girlfriend, but Hux gave her no reason to worry. He embraced every part of her, held her when she got in moods like these, only shouted at her when the moment really warranted… it was more than Rey thought she deserved.

“Hello, Rey,” he whispered into her hair.

“Hi,” she breathed.

Rey closed her eyes, still clutching his waist tightly, so thankful that his embrace never faltered, never weakened. He’d never said as much, but Rey knew, deep down, that he’d hold her for as long as she needed, if it would make things better.

They embraced until something sizzled and hissed angrily on the stovetop, but even then, Hux seemed reluctant to release Rey. It was as though he could sense her uncertainty and anxiety. He dropped his hands from around her shoulders, but slid a couple of his fingers through hers, leading her with a lazy grip into the kitchen. He stirred and poked at things one-handed, maintaining that physical contact that Rey seemed desperate for. If she needed it, he would grant it.

Rey watched Hux work with practiced ease; he knew his way around a kitchen, and she’d always known this, but for some reason the space seemed to suit him just a little bit better when he was cooking, rather than baking. Lazy late-night conversations had led to a conversation of the very topic, and Hux had divulged to her that he enjoyed any time in the kitchen, no matter what he was preparing. Baking was just one of many things he could and liked to do whilst in the kitchen.

And after only a few moments, Rey realized that he’d been hard at work preparing Rey’s favorite meal: a classic Sunday roast. 

On a Wednesday.

She released his hand as the kitchen timer went off, watching as he pulled a small tin of Yorkshire puddings from the oven, and then began serving up some roast vegetables and the puddings on plates. The roast was the finishing touch, and it looked and smelled divine.

By the time he’d finished plating, Rey had completely forgotten she’d ever been terse or upset. And the smug expression on Hux’s face when he looked to her said that he knew exactly the effect this gesture would have, and was pleased to have succeeded.

“Thank you,” she said softly, stepping forward now that his task in the kitchen was complete. 

Rey’s arms slid around his waist and he held her again, this time pressing a kiss atop her head as he did so. “You’re welcome,” he replied, rubbing her back soothingly.

In a small gesture of repayment, to thank him for what he’d done, Rey stepped away and walked around Hux to the fridge, which was behind him. As she expected, he had several bottles of wine in there, chilling for an occasion such as this. She pulled a bottle of red from the shelf — she had no idea if it’d actually go with their dinner, but it was a red, so that was a safe bet — and then poured them each a glass.

Hux raised an eyebrow in surprise as he took the glass she was offering him. Rey smiled; even in all the stress and chaos of her life, she could always slow down and smile for Hux.

Holding her glass up in a toast, she said, “To the first of many Sunday roasts together.”

She grinned at the thought, a grin so contagious Hux smiled back. Even his eyes looked warmer, excited at the prospect. It made Rey’s heart do a silly little leap. “Cheers,” he said, tapping the rim of his glass to hers.

Before gathering their plates and moving to the table, they each took a sip of the wine. 

And that evening, as they drank wine and ate a scrumptious dinner, Rey paid no mind whatsoever to her impending move, or the book deal, or her blog. She didn’t think about her friends back in Wolverhampton, or the cafe, or anything else she’d been stressing about. She focused only on Hux and his romantic gesture, and the fact that she felt cared for. Sure, her friends cared, too, but nobody went to such great lengths the way that Hux did.

That was what she had to focus on. That was what would keep her sane when her life was in a state of total upheaval.

——

They took their time with dinner, eating and chatting — but not about Rey’s move or her career. No, they talk about the other contestants and what they’re doing, like how Ben and Phasma have been in touch, and recently reached out to Hux. The three of them have plans the following weekend to get dinner, and Rey is immeasurably jealous. Rey divulges that she’s in touch with Connix, and that she’s got half a mind to try to set her up with Poe. 

Hux pours them more wine as their plates remain empty on the table, but the conversation keeps going. Nearly an hour passes from when they sat down when he retrieves a box from one of the cupboards. It’s small and delicate, and inside are some chocolates that he bought from a small cafe in Burlington Arcade.

“You and your fancy shopping centers,” Rey laughed.

“I bought you nothing but chocolate, I promise,” Hux reassured her as he offered her a chocolate from the box. 

Rey raised an eyebrow in disbelief. “Please, give me a little credit,” Hux said as he took a chocolate for himself before sitting down, this time in the chair nearest her, rather than in his spot across the table. “I know full well you’d never accept a gift from any of the shops in that arcade.”

“Designer shops?” Rey asked.

Nodding, Hux said, “Most of them, yes.”

“Thank you for not buying me fancy things,” Rey said with a smile, before taking a bite from a rather delectable looking dark chocolate candy.

Though he’d never understand her reticence when it came to gifts, Hux learned very early on not to question it. Instead, he just nodded at her thanks and said, “You’re welcome.”

Rey closed her eyes as she chewed, the bitter sweetness of the chocolate on her tongue eliciting something very close to a moan from her. “This is amazing,” she said, eagerly popping the rest of the piece into her mouth.

“I’m glad you like it,” replied Hux, his own chocolate still half-eaten, the rest of it melting slowly between his fingers.

He brought it halfway to his mouth before he had an idea.

“Rey.”

She opened her eyes, having closed them to truly savor the chocolate she’d just finished off, and blinked at him innocently. Hux extended his hand outwards, offering her the chocolate. Rey began to reach up for it, but he used his free hand to swat hers away. He had something else in mind. 

Rey’s cheeks flushed when she realized what he wanted to do, though she had no qualms about it. She swallowed, suddenly hyper-aware of the buzz of alcohol in her veins, and how much closer they were sitting now, and that Hux had the tiniest smudge of chocolate on his lower lip. 

She glanced from the chocolate, and then back up to Hux, who was watching her with an intensity that she’d seen only a few times before. Rey took a deep breath as the moment slowed, and she parted her lips slightly to allow him to feed her the last piece of chocolate. 

As he lowered his hand, Rey noticed a smudge of chocolate on his finger, and though her heart was beating and she knew it was something she’d never done before and she could probably seriously screw it up, she took his hand, stopping him. Hux watched, unspeaking, and she brought his finger to her lips.

Slowly, with as much eye contact as she felt comfortable giving, Rey parted her lips, licking the chocolate from his finger. She noticed immediately the way Hux’s expression changed, his pupils dilating, his lips parting every so slightly. As she swirled her tongue around his fingertip, lapping up the chocolate, teasing him just a little, Rey noticed the way he swallowed hard, and his eyes never strayed from her mouth.

She let her mouth linger, though the chocolate had already been cleaned off, because she loved the effect this had on Hux. She’d never seen him so caught off guard, so speechless.

When he lowered his hand, Rey half expected that to be the end of it. 

Instead, he leaned forward, capturing her lips in a heated kiss. He kissed her with an intensity she hadn’t felt in a long time, a need, a _want_ that seemed so unlike him. Rey happily granted him what he wanted, her own hands grappling at his shoulders, at his tie, as he leaned forward. Warm hands encapsulated her waist and guided her forward, not off of the chair and onto her feet, but rather forwards, onto his lap.

Hux sat back in his chair, coaxing Rey until she was straddling him, an arm around his shoulders, the two of them kissing like it was their last chance. Each touch was frantic, desperate, the two of them going without an intimacy like this for far too long. 

His warm hands slid up her sides, down her back, over the strong curve of her ass, and down along her thighs. Rey shivered with it, the unexpected pleasure of having hands all over her, the room growing hotter by the second. Heat pooled between her legs and a thrill shot through her when she felt his erection pressing insistently at the front of his pants. Teasingly, she ground her hips down against him, rolling with just enough pressure to let him know she’d noticed, but not enough to give him any real relief. 

“Rey,” he breathed, the words getting lost between their mouths.

“We should…” Rey panted. He cut her off by stealing another kiss. “Bedroom.”

Hux kissed her again, this time fiercer, with more intensity than she’d thought him capable of. “Why?” he asked.

Surprised by his question, Rey leaned away. She panted, and her lips were a deep red, be it from kissing Hux, drinking the red wine, or maybe both. She raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“We have this entire flat to ourselves,” Hux explained. He seemed to be in a similar state, and because of it, Rey couldn’t stop staring at his lips. “Why do we need to go to the bedroom?”

Mischief sparkled in Rey’s eyes. “Alright,” she agreed, rolling her hips against his for good measure. “Fair point.”

Rather than speaking, Hux kissed Rey again.


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The finale airs on TV, which means the whole country will finally see the conclusion of the #reyux arc. What does this mean for Rey's career? And will she finally adapt to life in London?

Moving was less difficult than Rey had anticipated. Sure, she’d had to slog through her piles of possessions and pack them into boxes, but Holdo had arranged for a moving company to handle the rest, and Rose had confirmed she’d gotten the rest of the rent money through the end of their lease, and… things were working out.

Rey was scared, of course. She was going to be living by herself for the first time ever. Rather than moving in with Hux, Rey had made the decision to live on her own, just for a little while. Their relationship was still so new, and moving in together felt like something big that they should do together… she didn’t want it to be Hux taking down his home office to let Rey scoot in, or Rey burrowing into pockets of his already-settled flat.

So she’d gotten her own flat in the eccentric Marylebone neighborhood of London. It had been billed as having a small-town feel with plenty of markets and small cafes and shops, so naturally Rey was drawn to it. Not to mention, it held some of her favorite London sights, like 221b Baker Street, and Madame Tussaud’s. She’d be just a few short blocks away from both, and was excited at the prospect.

Plus, there was the bonus that it was adjacent to Hux’s neighborhood, and was only a five minute tube ride away from him. 

With the moving company’s help, Rey forged ahead, finally completing her move to London. She was terrified, of course, because her anonymous “investor” must have only provided so much money, and they’d already spent so much on the move. But Holdo promised that Rey had nothing to worry about, and that she’d have plenty of income along the way.

All she had to do was get down to business.

Rey’s new job mostly entailed working on her blog and beginning to write her book — much more writing than she’d initially expected. But she had an editor, and a photographer for her blog posts, and she workshopped her recipes for her book once a week with a pastry chef in town. That pastry chef would also give Rey small lessons where she may have gaps in her knowledge of baking — things she maybe didn’t pick up from an old Mary Berry cookbook or past episodes of _Bake-Off_ on the telly.

It was stressful, and it was a lot to adjust to all at once, but for a while Rey was too overwhelmed to really focus on how she felt about it. When she wasn’t working, she was usually sleeping, either in her own flat or at Hux’s. She’d often spend the weekends with him, since neither of them had to work and Rey didn’t much enjoy being home alone for too long at a time.

Being home alone was too quiet. It made her miss her friends.

They texted and called, of course, but Rey knew that they’d begun to form a new sort of social circle, one in which she was only tangential, not essential. Especially now that they’d discovered Connix didn’t live too far away, and just as Rey expected, Connix and Poe had hit it off immediately.

Rose didn’t outright say it, but Rey had a sneaky feeling that Connix would be Rose’s new roommate when it came time to renew the lease. Rey tried not to feel replaced, but there was still a stinging feeling nestled deep in her chest.

Things were changing, and there was no slowing it down, and certainly no going back.

Her life fell into a series of routines, and Rey found a small comfort in that. She knew when she had to leave her flat to catch the tube to get to Holdo’s office for their Monday morning meetings. She knew how to get to the cookery school for her lessons and recipe consults on Wednesday mornings. The photographer visited on Tuesday so Rey could post to her blog on Thursday. Instagram posts on Wednesday afternoon. Dinner with Hux on Friday.

Before Rey knew it, weeks had passed. Group watchings of _Bake-Off/ _with her friends had fallen by the wayside, thanks to a grueling schedule and general feeling of being overwhelmed and exhausted. Rey slept most nights, after she’d had a bit of dinner. So much time had passed now; the semi-finals and finale were looming ahead. Rey had completely forgotten about it until Holdo brought it up one Monday morning.__

__“We’ve started scheduling appearances for you, after the finale airs,” Holdo explained. “We’re going to have you do some fittings this afternoon. A stylist is coming here, to the office. We’ve got you on a few different news stations, and Grimmy over at Radio 1 is interested in an interview, as well. And that’s just to start.”_ _

__Rey was quiet. She was going to be on the telly and radio, _live_? “Is anyone else going to be there?”_ _

__“It’ll be just you for the news segments, but Grimmy asked if you’d want to bring Hux,” Holdo answered._ _

__Nick Grimshaw, formerly of the Radio 1 Breakfast Show, now did the afternoon slot. He got all the afternoon commuter listeners — _thousands_ of people, at least. Maybe millions. But he was charismatic and funny, and had always been Rey’s favorite. She’d been a bit disappointed when he switched off of the Breakfast Show — it had been what got her through early mornings in the cafe where she’d once worked._ _

__“I thought the relationship was a secret,” Rey deadpanned._ _

__Holdo shrugged nonchalantly. “We told the important news networks about the outcome so we could get some bookings on.”_ _

__“But… Hux didn’t make it to the final. How did Grimmy know?”_ _

__Rey’s arguing exasperated Holdo, and her expression clearly showed it. “Rey, the big selling point here is the romance. I know you said you don’t want to use it, but believe me when I say, that’s all anybody’s going to be talking about. We casually mentioned it to Radio 1 — well, to everyone really, we sent out a mass email briefing everyone on the final episode so they could prepare stories if they wanted — and he’s the only one so far who’s asked if you wanted to bring Hux along.” Her tone turned biting as she said, “Turns out, your strong, independent female thing is working. None of the other networks want you two to appear as a couple.”_ _

__Rey felt a smug satisfaction at that. For all that Holdo had pressured her and she’d stood her ground, it was well worth the satisfaction she felt now. Holdo ignored it._ _

__“I can talk to Hux about it,” Rey conceded. “How many other appearances are there?”_ _

__“Just a few. I don’t remember offhand. But hey, don’t worry about it!” Holdo said happily, letting their earlier conversation go._ _

__She leaned forward in her chair, elbows on her desk, and actually _smiled_. “The fact of the matter is, you’ve got people who are interested in _you_ , and this exposure will be great. Answer their questions, plug the blog, and we’ll try to get a mock-up of the book cover so you can mention that, too. The more promo we can get for those, the better.”_ _

__Rey nodded absentmindedly._ _

__Being on an edited television show was one thing. Speaking live on a show broadcast throughout the country was quite another. The radio show, Rey felt fine about, but the telly? And fittings by a _stylist_? It seemed unnecessary._ _

__But she went through with it. It would all be worth it._ _

__After the meeting, Rey went down the street to buy a coffee to soothe her nerves. She texted Hux about the whole thing, and as usual, he was completely supportive. He offered to attend anything with her that she wanted him to, for moral support behind the camera. Rey felt a warm comfort in her chest that he wasn’t trying to steal the spotlight from her, that he just wanted to support her. It felt good, but she still felt frazzled._ _

__They decided to meet up for lunch, where Rey told him she’d decided to do the TV appearances herself. Asking him to take off that much time at work felt ridiculous and rather selfish._ _

__“But… I want you to do the radio show with me,” she added, glancing up at him before continuing to sip at her chocolate shake. She didn’t know how he’d respond._ _

__“You do?”_ _

__Rey nodded. She picked at a French fry — they were at Shake Shack, her new obsession — and chewed it loudly as she waited for a response._ _

__“Why?”_ _

__His question didn’t surprise her. Shrugging, Rey answered, “Because it’ll be different than the news. It’s Nick Grimshaw, and he’s funny, and you’re cleverer than I am anyway, so you can keep up with his banter.”_ _

__“That’s not the only reason.”_ _

__Hux watched Rey as she tried to find her reasons why. Truth be told, she didn’t really have any. It was just something she wanted to share with him. It was an appearance where they could be themselves without risk of being _too much_. Maybe Hux would even feel comfortable smiling. _ _

__He’d only smiled twice on Bake-Off so far, apparently. Fans had been counting, and that was one corner of Twitter that Rey had found very interesting._ _

__But putting all of her thoughts to words was difficult; she wasn’t sure how to do it._ _

__Finally, Rey spoke. “I don’t really have a reason other than I’d just like to not have to do all of these alone. I figured Grimmy’s show was the one you’d most enjoy.”_ _

__Though he narrowed his eyes in a way that indicated he didn’t believe her, Hux didn’t press the issue further. He just nodded and said, “If you’d like me to, I will.”_ _

__“Please?” Rey asked. “I really want you there.”_ _

__“Of course,” Hux nodded._ _

__He finished off the last of his strawberry shake and then reached across the table. His hands were cold, but Rey curled her fingers around his, grateful for the contact. “Thank you,” Rey said softly._ _

__Hux nodded and gave her hand a small, reassuring squeeze. “Anything for you.”_ _

____

——

Before anyone could make any television or radio appearances, though, the network first had to air the semi-final and the final. Though Rey was too tired to really want to watch it, Rose had called and insisted upon it. She wanted to see what happened, and how it happened, given the devastation she’d recalled Rey experiencing after that weekend in the tent. 

So Rey stayed up and agreed to watch _Bake-Off_ , and to text with her friends whilst she did it. Before the show started, she opened up Twitter to see what was going on. She’d almost forgotten the show was still airing. Almost. She’d at least forgotten about the horde of fans on Twitter. 

The quarter-final had been quite dramatic; Rey had blocked it from her memory. It’d been the week that Rey, in all her frantic running back and forth, had unplugged the waffle iron that Hux had needed to make his stroopwafels for the Technical. Because of her, he’d only presented eight, rather than the requisite twelve, to the judges.

And then, to make things even worse, Hux had accidentally left out her laminated dough, so she’d been unable to present all twelve of the required croissants to the judges alongside her beignets and her choux buns. 

They’d accidentally sabotaged each other, and Twitter was a wreck because of it. Many worried about the state of #reyux, but yet others argued that this was exactly why one _shouldn’t_ flirt with a competitor on a show like this. 

But that was nothing compared to what would happen in that night’s episode. 

She had to brace herself to watch it.

Rey grimaced and winced as ice cream week was brutal to all four of them: Ben and Phasma handled themselves better than Rey and Hux though, who were clearly floundering. A glutton for pain, she’d opened Twitter to see what people thought. Sure enough, most said that she and Hux were failing at ice cream week because they were too wrapped up in each other. Some thought that warranted them both being sent home, while others worried that it meant it would break up #reyux. 

She blushed as she remembered the night after that particularly brutal day, how she’d gone to Hux’s room and they’d made out for what felt like hours. That afterwards, they’d been nearly naked and she’d stayed the night. That the entire evening felt like a last chance, like if they didn’t use that night wisely, they’d never have a chance to be together again.

Oh how wrong she’d been. But in the moment, the stress and worry had gotten to both of them. Of course they’d acted like it was the end of the world; it had felt like it.

And then the showstopper. She’d taken on a five layered ice cream cake when the brief only required three. Paul Hollywood had eyed her warily, and Mary Berry had wished her luck with an expression of great concern on her face. 

At judging, they’d sat together, hand in hand. Not only did Twitter explode at the sight of it, but so did Rey’s group text with Poe, Finn, and Rose. They hooted and hollered and shouted like it was some big thing, like some climactic kiss, when really it was one last desperate grasp, both of them begging not to get sent home during a week in which they’d both performed very poorly. 

Her heart ached as she heard his name, Mel’s voice sounding incredibly apologetic as she delivered the news that Hux wasn’t going to make it to the final. Sitting alone on the sofa, Rey squished her eyes shut and let the weight of it settle on her. It hurt less than it had that day, but it still wasn’t easy.

She felt her phone vibrating in her hand, buzz after buzz after buzz. But she ignored the group chat in favor of opening up her messaging thread with Hux. Just as she was tapping out her message, one popped up on the screen from him.

**It’s strange, watching myself get eliminated.**

Rey sighed, a saddened laugh escaping her lips.

_I was just watching it, too. It hurt to watch._

She looked up at the screen, watching as everyone hugged and said their goodbyes. 

Rey watched as she and Hux gravitated towards each other, her arms wrapping around his waist. Her phone sat forgotten in her hand for a moment as she watched the two of them together — their embrace, Hux’s attempt at a hidden kiss on the forehead. The editors hadn’t taken out any of that, which meant that now the entirety of Britain had seen, and before long, the rest of the world would, too.

**It did. But we made it through alright.**

Rey’s sadness softened as she watched them speak; they were behind the rest of the group, Phasma being congratulated for her Star Baker accolade, Ben and Paul having a rather serious conversation… and then Ben and Phasma interrupted them.

 _We did_ , Rey replied.

Her group text with Poe, Finn, and Rose was still going unread, but buzzing like crazy. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the screen. She hadn’t seen Hux’s interview when the whole thing ended, but now she was hanging off his every word.

“I did the best that I could and in the end, the other three were better.”

Though he sounded brave and unaffected, the emotions were clear on Hux’s face. He hadn’t shown those emotions to Rey, and now that she saw them, her heart ached in an unbearable sort of way that she couldn’t put to words even if she tried. His eyes looked glassy, and he paused to compose himself before continuing.

Hux took a deep breath. “My money’s on Rey, definitely. I think I’d like to see her win. The other two are fine, but… Rey is so deserving. She tries very hard, even with her limited resources back home. She always finds a way to make it through,” he spoke, and then glanced off to the side before looking back at the camera.

Rey remembered that moment. She’d been walking by, and he’d spotted her. How coincidental, that he’d been talking about her just then.

“Of course I’m gutted to be going,” he responded after being prompted with a question by someone behind the camera. “But I came into this hoping to make it to the quarter-final, and I surpassed that, so I have nothing to complain about.”

Though Rey didn’t hear the next question, she could tell by the look on Hux’s face, and his practiced pause and breath before speaking, that it was a big, serious question. “I think that yes, my mother would be proud of me. And I know Rey is. So really, I don’t need anything else.” 

“You really care about Rey, don’t you?”

Never before, at least in Rey’s memory, had the show included one of the off-camera interviewers’ quotes during something like this. But for some reason, they’d included it now.

Rey watched, her breath caught in her throat, as Hux nodded, his whole expression changing. He looked more relaxed, more at peace. Almost like he was going to smile.

“Yes, I do. Very much. And that’s another reason why I’d like to see her win.”

He smiled, and the screen turned to the closing credits, the joyous music in the background. 

Rey stared at the screen, stunned. If #reyux wasn’t already a thing, it definitely would be, now. The entirety of Britain had seen not only their rather affectionate embrace, but Hux had made his feelings known to everyone. He’d professed his feelings not just to Rey, but to the _country_. On national television. 

**I want you to know, I meant every word.**

His words appeared on the screen of her phone and she stared at them for a moment, in disbelief. She knew he cared about her — he’d made that glaringly obvious a long time ago — but something about this public declaration was big. Bigger than she’d expected. It stunned her and suddenly Rey understood so much more about their relationship, about why he was the way he was. Words failed her as she looked at the screen. What could she possibly say to a declaration of feelings so grandiose as that?

 _I feel the same way about you_ , she responded. _More, even._

**Come now, Rey. It’s not a competition.**

Rey snorted. They’d met over a competition, bonded during the competition… it was only natural that things afterwards follow suit, right?

——

With her clothing fittings completed and her schedule of appearances lined up for once the Final had aired, Rey could breathe a little easier. She’d been quiet, focused on rehearsing answers to questions she knew she’d get, and how to sit in a ladylike way in the dresses that Holdo and her stylist had picked out for her.

Rey didn’t like having a stylist. She just wanted to be _her_. But for television, she’d need the proper makeup, and to have her hair styled out of her face, but it was a small price to pay to have her dreams come true.

After finally re-entering the group chat at the end of the semi-final episode, Rey had been bombarded not just with comments about how cute she and Hux were together, but also by pleas to invite them to London so they could all watch the final together.

A viewing party sounded like a lot of work, but Rose promised it would be very low key, so Rey had agreed. Hux was invited, as were Finn and Poe and Connix, and Rey hoped she had enough furniture to seat them all.

It would be the first time they’d see her flat — Hux had, of course, but not in its finished state. It’d be new for all of them.

She took Holdo’s advice and made a blog post out of it: preparing petit fours for her party (this time, without a time limit, so they could be as perfect and pristine as she wanted them to be) as well as how to pair wine with her desserts. It felt more frilly than she wanted to be — Rey would much rather just write a cookbook filled with hearty, full-fat recipes passed down to her from her mother’s cookbook and her friends’ parents — but it would do for now.

Hux was the first to arrive, showing up shortly after Rey got home in the mid-afternoon. The sun was still high in the sky, and they’d both taken half days in order to spend some time alone together before the rest of the group arrived. 

Rey was flooded with relief as soon as she saw him, and burrowed against him for a hug without a second glance up at him. His embrace was warm and comforting — a reminder of what she’d gotten out of all of this stress, and why she kept pushing through even when the job seemed less than what she’d hoped for. Hux was kind to her, helped her keep her goals in sight.

“I missed you,” Rey mumbled into his shirt, her face smushed haphazardly against the lapel of his suit jacket.

“Missed you, as well,” he responded. 

Hux rubbed her back, coaxing her to look up at him. When their eyes met, he granted her a soft kiss, a hello of sorts, before they parted. He shrugged off his jacket right away, and then immediately unbuttoned the sleeves of his shirt to roll them up towards his elbows. He didn’t want to look like he was still in the office — not around Rey, whom he recognized was having difficulty with her transition to life in London.

In the kitchen, Rey busied herself with putting on a kettle and making some tea — her friends from Wolverhampton wouldn’t appreciate it anyway. They hated tea, though she didn’t entirely understand why. She’d grown up with it, and it was the most comforting thing she could drink when feeling stressed out.

While they waited for the others to arrive, they sat on the sofa and sipped their tea, Rey focusing most of the attention on Hux as they spoke. She asked about his mother, whom he’d mentioned in his interview in the previous episode, but she hadn’t heard much about. Hux waxed poetic about the woman, talking about all the times he’d baked with his mother before she’d passed away, that he had one of her cookbooks and some of her recipes, which he liked to make when he was feeling down, or lonely.

Rey asked if she could see them, and Hux agreed without hesitation.

Once the others arrived, things got much more lively. Rey had a smile on her face — a bigger smile than the one she’d worn when hearing Hux talk about his mother. That had been a wistful, happy-sad kind of smile. But around Rose, Finn, and Poe, Rey was someone different. She lit up in a way that Hux hadn’t seen since they’d met on the show, and it said a lot about Rey and how she felt about her current position in life.

Connix was there, too, so Hux knew more than just Rey. Though they hadn’t spoken much, Hux and Connix had a respect for one another that meant it was easy to be amicable in this large group. Everyone was coupled up, and everyone was happy. 

With just thirty minutes to go before the episode would begin, Rey started to fret about putting out food. “I’ve got it,” Hux insisted, watching her scramble about the kitchen. 

She’d been conversing with Finn and Poe with such enthusiasm that she’d lost track of time. 

“I’ll help.”

Hux looked up to see Rose standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Rey looked unsure, for just a moment, but Connix took one for the team and looped her arm through Rey’s, leading her away from the kitchen and back towards the lounge where Poe and Finn still sat. 

There wasn’t much to help with, but Hux had a feeling that her offer had nothing to do with helping, and everything to do with talking to him about Rey, without Rey present. All the snacks were already on the counter; the only step that was left was pouring out the wine.

“She’s not happy here,” Hux observed, before Rose said a word.

He was looking at Rey, who sat on the sofa with the others, a smile on her face. She hadn’t looked so happy since before she’d moved to London.

“I’m glad you see it, too,” Rose replied.

Though the two of them were quite different in height, appearance, and personality, they shared a common thread: Rey, and looking out for her the best they could.

Hux nodded. He pulled his attention away from his girlfriend to focus on the woman currently standing near him in the kitchen. “But what can we do?” he asked. “She’s here for work. A career that she wanted.”

“She’s sick of Holdo, and of being told how to be,” Rose replied. “She still wants everything she’s getting, she just wanted it in a different way.”

“It’s hard to have control over something like that,” Hux explained. “When she has to operate at the whim of the people with the power to give her what she wants.”

Rose nodded; Hux had half expected some argument on that point, given that at many times throughout the process, Rey could have chosen to say no. So far, she’d only really balked at the conversation around the theme of her cookbook.

Rose sighed. “She’s very strong, but I don’t think she ever expected for this to happen to her,” she said. “And… I know she cares a lot about you, but I don’t think she ever planned on leaving Wolverhampton. That’s been really hard for her.”

“I know,” Hux nodded.

“Her parents are buried there.”

Hux frowned. He supposed it made sense, but they’d never really talked about it, so he’d never known for certain. But he’d made the assumption long ago.

“She’s usually the only one who gets the caretaker to mow the lawn. Sometimes when she brings her parents flowers, she brings some for the other people… a few of her past customers, some names she just likes… it sounds a bit creepy, but it was a big part of her life when she lived there,” Rose explained. “The cemetery, I mean.”

Hux glanced over at Rey again, who glanced over her shoulder to the kitchen, to see that things were okay. In unison, Hux and Rose smiled and waved. Rey was none the wiser that they were having such a serious conversation.

“Her dream was to take over the shop when her bosses left,” Rose explained. “That’s why she’d put up with so much of their attitude and their stupid rules. Her mom had wanted to buy the shop, but hadn’t gotten the chance. Now… Rey thought she’d had the chance. She doesn’t want a shop in London. She hates that all the celebrities go to London.” Rose sighed and said wistfully, “Rey told me once that if she ever got on the show, she hoped to bring a little fame to Wolverhampton, with a shop and stuff, because she wanted everyone to see why she loved it so much.”

It was difficult for Hux to hear what Rose was saying, and reconcile that with all the actions Rey had taken thus far in her career. Everything Holdo was talking her into lay in strict opposition to the dreams and aspirations Rey had. Though Rey thought this was her only chance for the career she’d always wanted, Hux had his doubts.

Mysterious investor or no, Rey wasn’t happy in London, and Hux knew right away that she’d never stay. He’d had an inkling upon first seeing her in her London flat, but now that he’d spoken to Rose, he was certain.

Hux pulled his attention from Rey, fixing a serious gaze upon Rose. “So… what do we do?”

Rose grinned. “I’m glad you asked.”


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life in London is nothing like Rey expected -- and it's come time for Hux to do something about it.

Though she hadn’t particularly loved the idea of making so many TV appearances, Rey had to admit that it helped her pass the time until she saw Hux again. Plus, she did feel quite pretty in some of the dresses they gave her. They’d relied heavily on the fact that Rey had frequently worn dresses — usually her favorite cotton floral one, but sometimes a drapey beige one complete with arm wrappings that looked quite good on her. 

She appeared on all the major networks, plus a few niche shows, and then all that remained was the Radio 1 appearance. Rey was beyond grateful of Grimmy’s recent switch from the Breakfast show to the Drivetime show, as it meant she didn’t have to wake up before the sun for her radio appearance.

And, as she’d hoped, Hux had agreed to go with her, and he now stood with her in the lobby of the Radio 1 building, waiting for someone to fetch them to bring them to the studio.

Immediately upon seeing them, Nick greeted Rey and Hux with a massive smile. He gave Hux a handshake before eagerly pulling Rey into a hug. “Ahh, nice to meet you. I’m so glad we could get you both here!”

“Thank you,” Rey replied. She was getting better at awkward niceties and small talk. “I have to admit, I’m glad he can be here with me.”

“Nervous?” Nick wondered.

Rey nodded. “She’s got no reason to,” Hux quipped, just enough of a smirk and sparkle in his eye to let her know he was teasing. “She’s been great at her appearances all week.”

“Agreed,” Nick said, fixing a mock-serious gaze back on Rey. “But I suppose it’s been quite a long week for you, you’d rather not be all put together?”

Rey visibly relaxed. “Exactly.”

Upon closer inspection, Hux realized that Rey had retreated completely into what she’d worn for the show, rather than continuing to wear the fancy outfits she’d been given by Holdo and a stylist to wear at all her public appearances. She wore the black cotton dress decked out in flowers, her black Doc Martens, and her trademark three buns down the back of her head.

Rey looked much more at home in her skin than she ever had before.

“Alright, we’ll be going live in about twenty minutes. I want to get you lot settled in and comfortable, we can show you a bit of the studio here, and then Fifi can show you around the rest of the building afterwards if you’ve got the interest,” Nick explained. “I won’t spring any surprise questions on you, I hope. I imagine you’ve been asked most of these! But you can look this over before we get started.”

He handed Rey a sheet of paper, and Hux peered over her shoulder at it. It was a printout of an email, so Rey could see that Holdo had already given the okay to Grimmy and his team, that any of these questions could be asked. Rey was relieved that she got a say in it, too.

Only one of the questions made Rey hesitate, and she was relieved when Hux pointed to it and silently raised an eyebrow in question. Rey looked up at him over her shoulder, but took a deep breath and shrugged. Without a single word exchanged, he’d checked in on her, and Rey wasn’t yet sure how she wanted to respond.

When Nick returned, she held out the paper and when he asked, “Everything good?” Rey just nodded. She could handle it. Everything would be fine.

Nick did his usual thing at the start of the show — intros, an explanation about what they’d hear on the show that day, including the announcement that both Rey and Hux were there to chat about the _Bake-Off_ final.

He was upbeat and charming, much kinder and easier to talk to than anyone else Rey had spoken to that week. It put her at ease completely, along with the lack of pressure she felt since this was only audio, not audio and video both. Her face wasn’t on a screen (aside from when Nick put a clip or two on his Snapchat) and she could just be herself.

“So, Rey, talk to us about your family. I hear they’re a big influence on this new cookbook you’ve got coming out!” 

Rey smiled. She liked to think about the cookbook, even if some of the memories were painful. “Well, as people who’ve seen the show have probably seen by now, I haven’t actually got a biological family left. They’ve all passed away. But I’ve been lucky to meet people who I can consider as close as family. My cookbook will be inspired by both,” Rey began.

“Family as in Hux, too?”

Her face flushed crimson. The question he’d pointed to, the one she’d hesitated on… it was easier to answer than she’d expected.

“Hux is in a whole category by himself. He may get his own cookbook dedication with me in the future,” Rey explained. “For now, my first cookbook at least, will be recipes left to me by my mum, dad, and grandparents, plus some recipes from my best friends. They’re all American, so they’ve got some really unique things. We’ve come up with some fun British twists on the recipes throughout the years… plus having to bake and cook on a budget… I think between them and my parents and grandparents, I’ve got a nice selection to start with.”

“That’s sweet, that’s sweet,” Nick said, grinning widely at both of them. “How do you feel about that, Hux?”

“This is Rey’s cookbook, not mine,” Hux said simply. He shrugged and looked over at Rey. “She can do whatever she wants.”

Grimmy looked like the cat who got the canary. “But you’d like to do a cookbook with her?”

Hux hesitated. “I would, yes. But all in good time.”

“Forget marriage and babies… creating a cookbook together, that’s the real mark of a couple, innit?”

Rey laughed to push beyond the awkwardness — marriage and babies was a lot to think about when their relationship was so new. Hux looked about as awkward as she felt, but they were both good sports about it.

“All in good fun,” Grimmy said, looking at both of them. “To be serious, though, you two are happy together? You were disgusting in the final. Stupidly cute, I almost vomited.”

Rey snorted with laughter. “That’s not what we were going for!”

“That’s… you ought to get that checked out,” Hux said, sounding blase but looking incredibly amused.

Much of their segment of the Drivetime show was the same, with Nick saying something ridiculous and only partially staying on topic as they discussed baking, the tent, Mary Berry, and occasionally, their relationship. 

Rey felt much lighter when they were leaving the Radio 1 studios, and that mood never left her as she and Hux shared a dinner out — only being recognized once. It wasn’t until she was home, alone, left in the silence of her flat in Marylebone, that she felt that cloud looming overhead.

And it wasn’t due to rain in London that night.

——

For the third night in a row, Rey neglected her dishes by the sink, deciding she’d wash them another day… or maybe load the dishwasher and figure out the settings on it, finally. But she just didn’t feel like it, so instead of bothering with cleaning up her kitchen, she retreated to the lounge where she’d burrowed up like a burrito on the sofa.

The screen of her phone dimmed, having just received another message in her group chat with Poe, Finn, and Rose, and Rey eyed it warily as she crawled back beneath the blankets on the sofa. In the background was whatever show she’d most recently discovered on Netflix, she couldn’t remember the name of it. Something about heaven and hell… but whatever it was, she didn’t really care.

Rey didn’t care about much of anything lately. Moving to London should be a big, monumental thing. She should be proud. But instead, Rey felt trapped and unhappy. No matter how many good things came her way… it didn’t feel like she thought it would.

And she hated living alone.

She mindlessly watched television while insisting to her friends via the group chat that life in London was exciting and amazing and more than she could have ever hoped for. Rey even managed to successfully curtail the conversation into being focused solely on Poe and his new relationship with Connix. 

Rey’s biggest point of pride in the past few months had actually been setting those two up. It hadn’t been anything related to her own career. She hated thinking about why that was, or trying to realize what it meant for her. Rey purposely blocked that out, choosing to focus on her friends and their newfound happiness.

Sometime in the middle of the conversation about Connix’s plans to take Rey’s place in the flat with Rose, the episodes on telly ceased, instead switching to a big black screen asking Rey if she was still watching. 

Clearly, she wasn’t.

She’d completely lost track of time, but given that she opted to keep her curtains closed most days, Rey assumed it was quite late at night. She wasn’t expecting anyone to knock on her door. The sound jolted her off the sofa, her knee bumping painfully on the coffee table.

Rey set down her phone and tried to straighten up the three buns atop her head, in all their greasy, well-slept-on glory. She hissed at the hardwood floor, cold on the bare pads of her feet as she walked to the door.

More knocking.

“I’m coming!”

She straightened her shirt before opening the door. The chill of air from the hallway prompted Rey to cross her arms in front of her chest, trying to hide whatever her braless body may do in reaction.

It was Hux.

“Hi,” he said, studying her curiously.

“Hi.”

“You’re not ready.”

Rey raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Date night?” Hux prompted. “It’s Friday night. We’d agreed…”

“It’s… no it’s not,” Rey said, frowning. “It’s Thursday. Right?”

Hux was quiet, taking a moment to really take in the sight of Rey, how disheveled she looked. The slightly unpleasant smell wafting from her flat. The blankets she’d just been burrowed beneath on the sofa. Netflix silently judging her on the screen of her television.

“Can I come in?”

Regardless of what day it _actually_ was, Hux was fairly certain they weren’t going out for a date that night. He didn’t think they _should_. It was about time that he and Rey had a conversation about her life in London, and how she’d been acting and feeling recently. He wasn’t blind; he knew she wasn’t happy.

“I’m sorry I forgot,” Rey said, gathering up the blankets draped across the sofa, trying to fold them into something akin to purposeful draping over the arm of the sofa, to no avail. “I genuinely thought it was Thursday.”

“When did you last leave this place?” Hux wondered.

Rey bustled around the lounge, straightening up a few throw pillows, and then scurried into her room. Hux followed at a safe distance, hands tucked in his pockets, his expression carefully schooled into something neutral so she wouldn’t know just how concerned he was at this point.

“Um… I don’t know. Some meeting with Holdo, probably.” Rey’s voice was muffled, directed into the clothes hanging in her closet. She peeked over her shoulder, “Is this a fancy date or a relaxed date?”

“Rey, we don’t have to go out. We’ll order takeaway.”

She sighed and lowered her hands, a hanger in each, the clothes effectively sweeping up the mess on the hardwood floor of her room. “But you went through all this trouble —”

“To come and see my girlfriend? It’s no trouble, I assure you.” Hux shrugged and leaned in the doorway. 

He looked perfectly put-together and professional, as always. That evening he’d put on a sport coat and removed his tie — it meant he’d made them a reservation somewhere, most likely, and that it was going to be a middle of the line type of place. Not so fancy that Rey would feel uncomfortable, but most definitely not fast food.

She frowned. “I —”

“Rey, are you happy?”

Rey opened her mouth, and then closed it again. She looked as though she didn’t know how to process the question. Her face contorted a little, nose scrunching up, before she turned back to her closet and hung up the clothes she’d just been considering — now both covered in dust and transferring the dust to the clothes they were hung up next to. “Of course I am,” she said, more to the closet full of clothes than to Hux. “Why would you think that I’m not?”

“Because you’ve… not seemed happy,” he said finally, sounding a little bit like he’d wished he’d said something else. 

“If I wasn’t happy, I’d say so.”

 _No you wouldn’t._ The words hung there between them, unsaid by both of them. Rey knew that Hux had stopped believing her weeks ago, whenever she said she was happy. But neither had the solution. Hux just wished Rey would finally just admit it. Maybe she just needed more time.

“Rey, stop digging through your closet. I’ll order us something. How about a curry?”

Hux fished his phone out of his pocket and began the process of ordering something for them before she ever gave her answer. 

“I… fine. If you insist.”

“No use getting dressed up for just a couple hours,” Hux said, turning to walk out of the room and back into the lounge.

It was a mess, even more so now that he was facing the kitchen and could see just how much she’d let go. 

“That’s _literally_ the point of a date!” Rey called out after him. 

He didn’t argue with her, though, and instead just went ahead with ordering them some takeaway. Once he’d done that, he began to load Rey’s dishes into the dishwasher, not entirely sure what she was doing or why she hadn’t yet left her room.

A few moments after he’d ordered the food, he heard the shower switch on. She was cleaning herself up, but too little too late, and all that.

Hux frowned and tried not to clang the dishes around too much as he thought about Rey and how she’d been acting ever since moving to London. She clearly wasn’t happy, but he didn’t know what to do about it. Everything she wanted to achieve, she needed London in order to achieve it.

But maybe not permanently.

Realistically, she could have continued to take the train from Wolverhampton to London and back, if only Holdo had set a more consistent schedule. But that didn’t sound like Holdo’s style, and Hux was almost positive that Rey didn’t think she had the agency to ask for such a thing when Holdo was moving mountains to help her dreams come true.

It was a tricky situation, but more than anything, Hux didn’t want Rey to regret her time on _Bake-Off_ , nor did he want that to lead to her resenting _him_. 

Rey seemed in better spirits when she emerged from her room, her hair damp and loose around her shoulders. She wore new, clean pajamas, and she looked brighter. She greeted him with a kiss — minty fresh, she must have brushed her teeth, too — and thanked him for cleaning.

“You didn’t have to,” she insisted.

“I wanted to. It’s fine.”

Rey frowned, her small bit of lustre gone already. Thankfully, their food arrived shortly after, so they could retreat to the sofa, switch on some Netflix, and eat. Rey didn’t eat much, which Hux observed with must concern. Rey _loved_ food. Either she wasn’t feeling well, or something much bigger was happening than he’d originally thought.

Halfway through one of the many Marvel movies available on Netflix, Rey curled up against Hux, nearly lying completely on top of him as they watched. The movie continued on, and at one point, Hux was pretty sure he dozed off. He _knew_ Rey had, because he’d heard her snoring.

When the credits came on, both were somehow awake, yet unmoving. It was a moment of serenity that both were afraid to break — until Rey finally spoke.

“I’m sorry I lied.”

Hux raised an eyebrow and tried to look down at Rey, where she lay with her head in the center of his chest. He brushed his fingers gently up and down her back, soothing her, as he asked, “Lied about what?”

Rey sniffled and he could tell she was trying desperately not to look up at him.

“I’m not happy.”

Her voice sounded so soft, so broken, that Hux’s heart ached for her. He brought both of his arms up to wrap them securely around her, doing his best to imbue her with even a modicum of comfort. She sniffled again, and Hux could tell that she was about to cry.

“It’s alright,” he said softly, leaning down to kiss her atop her head. “You don’t have to be happy all the time.”

A dry sob escaped her throat and Hux stayed quiet. He hadn’t seen Rey this emotional since they’d been competing on _Bake-Off_. It was difficult to see, to know that she was in this much distress. Part of Hux thought that perhaps he should have tried to have this conversation sooner, to try to save her from the pain. But Rey was stubborn, and she wasn’t going to open up about it until she was ready.

“I love you and I love spending time with you, but I don’t love London,” she said blearily, tears and snot smearing across her palm as she tried to wipe it away even semi-gracefully. “I know I’m supposed to, but I just don’t.”

Rey sobbed again, but Hux said nothing. He couldn’t. He was rooted to the spot, focused on his arms around Rey’s trembling body and those three words echoing in his head, over and over again.

_I love you._

Had she meant it? Really meant it? She was emotional and probably a bit depressed… that was all, right? 

But something deeper in Hux, deeper than all that fear and uncertainty, told him to not to run from this. To embrace it. To walk right into what could very possibly be a very painful trap, because if it was what Rey needed to hear, he could face his fears and say how he felt out loud, too. It was time. It was almost too late. Right?

He didn’t actually know.

“I love you, too.”

Rey relaxed instantly, molding herself against him on the sofa, warm, fat tears soaking through his button-down shirt. Hux continued to hold her, rubbing a hand comfortingly up and down her back. It was the least he could do to try to soothe her.

Hux kissed the top of her head and reminded her, “You don’t have to love London, and you don’t have to stay. It’s just a city. You can _always_ move.”

“No I can’t,” Rey said, the end of her sentence twisting into another guttural sob. 

It hurt Hux, hearing Rey so upset.

“Yes, Rey. You can.”

He’d insist it, remind her of it, day in and day out until she believed it. He hated that she didn’t see that she still had agency, that she was still in control. It was a precarious balance, but she could ask for more without losing it all.

Rey cried into Hux’s shirt, her sobs slowly beginning to subside until her breathing completely evened out. Before Hux knew it, she was snoring softly against his tear-stained shirt. He wasn’t even upset. 

Instead, he did his best to maneuver his way out from underneath her so he could carry Rey to bed. Though he was awake long into the night, tapping away at his phone, he already knew that things would be better soon.

He’d make sure of it.

——

“Thank you both for meeting me.”

Hux sat at a Costa coffee, Phasma and Ben sat across the table from him with their own cups of coffee in hand. It hadn’t taken much to convince them to meet him for a coffee, which was even more of a giveaway than they probably realized.

“Why exactly are we here?” Ben asked.

Of all the contestants on their season of _Bake-Off_ , Hux had connected with Ben and Phasma the most, and they’d stayed in touch since the show’s taping had concluded. And while they weren’t the best of friends, Hux knew enough about them to know how far they’d go to help someone.

“I know one of you is Rey’s secret investor.”

Phasma snorted. “Are you jealous?”

Hux raised an eyebrow. “No. Was it you?”

“I wish,” Phasma replied. “Girl’s got talent. But no, it wasn’t me.”

She looked at Ben, and together with Hux, the two of them managed to get Ben to shirk enough under their gaze for him to break and confess.

“So what? It was me. Big deal.”

Phasma laughed. She was the most good-natured out of all of them, tough but willing to have a good laugh. “I think you’ve got Armie over here a little jealous.”

“It wasn’t because I’m interested in her,” Ben grumbled. “She had potential but no means to get to the next step. I did, so I helped.”

“I’m not angry about it,” Hux said flatly, aiming the statement pointedly at Phasma. 

He sat back in his chair and brushed his thumb over the curve of the handle on his coffee mug. The situation was complicated and he had to approach it correctly, but suddenly everything he’d rehearsed felt so… wrong.

“Why did you call us here?” Phasma asked seriously. “Surely it wasn’t for that one question.”

Hux shook his head. “No, it wasn’t, but…”

He took a deep breath, and then opted for a sip of coffee before he even tried to put words to the situation, to what he felt and how Rey had been feeling. 

Seconds later, everything began to spill out of him. Rey’s travels back and forth, Rey’s struggles with Holdo and having to fight to even make the cookbook into something she’d feel proud of. He talked of how she’d been acting since moving, and his suspicions that Rey didn’t like seeing her friends move on so easily without her there with them. She’d even been replaced in the flat she’d once shared with Rose.

Phasma and Ben listened intently, with no judgment, until Hux had finished the story. He looked distraught, which both picked up on.

“Why did you call us here?” Phasma repeated.

Hux sighed. The statement — the _request_ — would never sound better than it did in his head. He was pleading with them. Begging. He needed help in order to get Rey out of her funk. He needed to know that he wasn’t being emotional and stupid. All he needed was for them to agree to help him.

“Rey isn’t happy in London. She’s not happy with Holdo, or her current career path, or much of what she’s doing.” Ben and Phasma waited — both knew that there was more. 

“I love her, so I am determined to do whatever it takes to fix it.”

Phasma studied Hux, a knowing smile on her face. Ben sat up straighter in his chair, one large hand fiddling with the exquisite watch wrapped around the opposite wrist.

Hux sighed. “Please, help me.”


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things must come to an end sometime. Hux is helping Rey to find her happiness and move forward confidently into the next step of her life... and the next step of his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to those of you who read this very small but very fun fic. I had so much fun writing it, and I hope you enjoyed reading it <3

Rey’s lessons with the pastry chef in order to prime and perfect the recipes for her cookbook were often one of the brightest spots in her weeks. London wasn’t her favorite place in the world — though it did hold her favorite person — and she liked being able to disappear into a kitchen with no reminders of the outside world, delving into her favorite recipes once more.

She’d always thought she was a good baker, but after several months of lessons, she felt even better. There were so many intricacies and little details of baking that she hadn’t learned. The chef was teaching her a whole host of new tricks, and Rey felt even more confident as she wrapped up the first draft of her cookbook.

Blogging was… fine. She enjoyed working with a photographer, getting the lighting and display just right. She always made sure it didn’t look staged — as much as she could, anyway — because she was never that put together. Rey didn’t have big fancy displays, not unless she had to like when she was on _Bake-Off_. No, Rey liked the photos for her blog to look like she’d just pulled her phone out of her pocket at the end of an afternoon of baking. 

After a particularly successful lesson with the chef, Rey took her time getting home. She stopped to get a tea from Costa — the perks of suffering through life in London was that Rey had far more money to spare, and didn’t feel guilty buying tea rather than making it herself — and took the long way home, walking through the Queen Mary’s Rose Gardens to get to her flat.

She smiled, savoring the warmth of the sunlight on her face, bringing out the freckles to the surface of her skin. Rey felt more like she was back in Wolverhampton when she walked through parks, remembering all the times she’d play at the park with her parents as a child, and the visits to their grave when she got a little older. 

Families milled around — women with prams, children eating lollipops and pointing out all the flowers and birds around them — it left Rey feeling wistful, yet hopeful at the same time. She could have that one day. Maybe. She wanted it, and for the longest time had thought it wouldn’t happen for her.

But now she and Hux were together — it had been just about a year now. Oh, how much her life had changed since they’d crossed paths on _Bake-Off_. 

The sun was setting behind the towering buildings of London as Rey emerged from the park and spotted her flat in the distance. She sighed; another night home alone. It was a Thursday, and last she’d heard, Hux was going out with some coworkers for dinner and drinks. Otherwise, she would have gone to visit, especially since she had no work to do on Friday and could have lounged around his flat. She felt a little less lonely there, even if he was gone at work.

Rey fetched her keys out of her satchel and took her time wandering up the stairs and into her flat. It wasn’t until she’d closed the door behind her, set her satchel haphazardly on the floor, and kicked off her Keds that she realized something was wrong.

When Rey looked up, she froze, eyes wide. 

Her flat was completely empty.

Panic immediately coursed through her veins; Holdo hadn’t told her anything about a change to her daily routine — in fact, she hadn’t heard from Holdo for days. Fleetingly, Rey wondered if she’d walked into the wrong flat. But that was impossible, because she’d used her key — the same one she’d used for months.

Rey stepped into her flat, looking around, trying to find some indication of what the hell was going on. 

Her heart thudded in her chest, a combination of panic and excitement, when she spotted something on the counter. Rey’s heart skipped a beat. It was a note in a very familiar handwriting.

_Surprise!_  
_I know you hate gifts, but trust me, just this once. (Yes, I’ll continue using that line for as long as you’ll let me.)_  
_Here is a train ticket, departing Paddington Station shortly. I trust you know what to do with it._  
_On your way out, drop your keys in the rent depository box. Everything else regarding the flat is already taken care of._  
_Get yourself something to eat on the way — something simple from M &S should do._  
_Meet me at the cafe you so dearly miss. I’ll be waiting._  
_Love,_  
_Hux_

Rey’s trepidation floated away almost instantly. Knowing that Hux had a hand in whatever was happening made Rey feel much more relaxed. She lifted the letter to look at what was beneath it. The cafe she missed was in Wolverhampton, and sure enough, the ticket was for a train to Wolverhampton, via Reading. The same route she took when she’d left London after a beautiful, glorious week there with Hux after _Bake-Off_ had ended.

Suddenly, she was smiling in the empty kitchen of her flat, and it was the happiest Rey had felt in months.

Even just for a few days, she was going _home_.

Rey frantically went back towards the door, the note and ticket in one hand, crumpled up a little as she slid on her Keds and slung her satchel back over her shoulder. In all her rush to get to Paddington Station, Rey nearly forgot to deposit her keys and had to rush half a block back to the flat to do so.

She stopped in the M&S in the station, opting for a sparkling water, bacon and egg sandwich, and some prawn cocktail crisps. It was her favorite combination of foods, though she was so excited to get to Wolverhampton that she couldn’t imagine actually eating it all. 

Along the ride, Rey did manage to eat most of it, though the butterflies in her stomach took up some room, and she had to put half a bag of prawn crisps in the bin. As much as she wished they would, they never held up if she put them in her satchel. Somehow, Rey always managed to crush them before she could finish them.

Though she wondered where on earth all of her things had disappeared to in the six hours she’d been gone from her flat, Rey couldn’t help but think to herself that it didn’t matter. She could crash on Rose’s couch, or Finn’s, and she’d get to see them and Poe and Connix… it would be wonderful.

And also, Hux was there.

If Hux was there, Rey knew she didn’t have to worry. He always had everything under control.

Rey left the station and walked the familiar distance from there to the cafe where she’d once worked. She wondered how Camilla and Millie were doing. They were getting on in years, and every once in a while Rey had the fleeting curiosity as to whether the women were still alive, and if they were, had they retired? Or would they run the shop until they died?

She wasn’t sure, and with the sun already set long before, Rey couldn’t quite tell as she first approached the cafe.

What she did see, though, warmed her heart. The rest of the street was drenched in the beautiful navy blue hue of a nighttime in Wolverhampton, nothing but the sparse streetlights to guide the way home. Inside the shop, warm yellow light shone from behind the counter, and throughout the empty cafe. The place looked warm and inviting, though the empty pastry case was a dead giveaway that the shop was closed.

Even better, though, was that Hux was sitting inside, and he hadn’t spotted her yet. He looked as classy and put-together as always, but less “buttoned up,” so to speak. He still wore his usual button-up shirt, but instead of a blazer or sport coat over it, he wore a jumper. It was spring — right on the cusp of when a jumper would be classified as ridiculous, rather than practical — but he looked wonderful in it, the blue a perfect complement to his red hair and pale skin.

He sat back in one of the chairs, one leg crossed over the other, a small paperback book in hand. Hux looked so at ease in this cafe, reading a book, acting so nonchalant at the fact that he’d hauled Rey out to Wolverhampton on a Thursday night.

Had he forgotten that he still needed to work the next day?

Rey’s curiosity got the better of her, and she stopped ogling her boyfriend through the window in favor of stepping into the shop to greet him properly. The bell dinged overhead, a welcome reminder of home… of what she’d once had.

The sound drew Hux’s attention from the book immediately. He put a bookmark in it and set it aside, instantly standing up to greet her properly.

“Hello,” he said, a small smile on his face as he held out his arms to her.

Rey raised an eyebrow, but couldn’t fight a smile as she hugged him in greeting. “Hi,” she replied. “Care to tell me what’s going on?”

“It’s a surprise,” Hux replied smartly.

Rolling her eyes, Rey wrapped her arms around his shoulders and stood on her tiptoes, letting the hug linger for a few minutes so she could look around to try to figure out what was going on. “This whole afternoon has been a surprise,” Rey said, lowering her weight back onto her heels to gain steady footing. 

She stepped away from Hux to set her bag down on the table next to his book. After she’d done that, Rey began to look around the shop. _Something_ had to be going on, but she couldn’t figure out what. Everything was where she’d left it months ago — the trinkets on the shelves, the mismatched chairs and tables — nothing had changed. It was like she’d never left.

“I hope you haven’t gone sightseeing here without me,” Rey remarked, finally bringing her gaze back to meet his.

Hux shook his head. “I swear to you, I haven’t.”

He even put his hand on his heart for good measure. Rey smiled. “Good.”

He was quiet, watching Rey as she combed every shelf and every table around her with scrutinizing eyes. She was trying so hard to spot what was different, but hadn’t yet. Hux took pride in that. Everything needed to go according to plan.

“Alright, I give up,” Rey said finally, after one last glance around. The buns atop her head flopped as she turned to look back at him, all three of them loose from her half-hearted attempts to sit back and relax on the train ride. “I can’t figure it out. Why are we here?”

“Come with me.”

He held out his hand to her, and Rey quirked an eyebrow again. She could _feel_ it — something wasn’t right. Something was coming and she’d be blindsided by it. She knew it, and yet there wasn’t a thing she could do to stop it. Hux had completely surprised her already, and Rey knew her flat and the train ride weren’t the only surprises he’d cooked up.

Though she wished she knew what was happening, Rey forced herself to just let go and trust. It was all going to be fine.

Rey put her hand in Hux’s, and followed as he walked behind the counter, where she’d once spent so many days a week working and serving all the locals in their little neighborhood on the outskirts of Wolverhampton. She felt a pang of wistfulness in her chest. She missed her job so much.

When Hux stopped, Rey took another look around. This time, she spotted it.

On the counter was a small stack of papers, all legal sized, with a pen atop them. Rey stepped closer to try to get a good look at what it was. When she did, she saw a yellow post-it note on top, scribbled in a shaky but gorgeous cursive that she’d also recognize anywhere. It was Camilla’s handwriting.

_Rey -_  
_It’s about time you had what’s rightfully yours. Sign on the dotted line._  
_You’ve earned it, darling._  
_\- Camilla & Millie_

Rey’s eyes widened. For a moment, she couldn’t think, couldn’t move.

They were selling her the shop?

Though Rey might have mentioned once or twice that she’d like to own the shop one day, or at least something like it, she hadn’t actually expected the women to pay attention to what she was saying. In fact, most of the time Rey felt like she was overlooked by them, and that the women didn’t particularly like her, either. More than anything, they kept her around because she knew what she was doing, and a lot of the locals liked her.

But this note, the implications… they cared? They recognized her dreams?

Rey looked up at Hux in total shock. There was no way this was happening, was there?

Hux smiled at her knowingly, and peeled away the post-it to reveal a contract for ownership. The women had already signed it, and now all that was left was for Rey to sign it, too. Once she signed her name on that dotted line, she’d own the cafe just like she’d always dreamed of — like she and her mother had talked about for years before she’d died.

Rey’s breath hitched when Hux held out a pen to her, encouraging her to sign it without saying a word. Per his usual, Hux could convey his support and love for Rey without ever saying a word. The fact that he’d gone through all this trouble to help her achieve her dream was more than she could have ever asked of him, and definitely more than she’d ever hoped for.

Her hand shook slightly as she signed her name, accepting the cafe as her own.

Rey stared at the paper for a moment, taking a few deep breaths to stay focused. Her mind was racing, her heart pounding — there was no way this was happening. That this was real. She was still on the train, suffering a fever dream of some sort, right?

“It’s all yours. Congratulations.”

She looked up at Hux, felt his warm hand on her back, and Rey knew that it wasn’t a dream. This was really happening to her… it was all too much to take in. 

“I… I can’t believe it.”

Hux’s smile was warm and patient. It was like he’d known all along that it would be difficult for her to absorb. Yet something in his gaze told Rey that the evening wasn’t quite over yet. Hux wouldn’t have gone all the way to Wolverhampton and brought Rey there, too, just to sign one contract.

“I baked us something to celebrate.”

Rey followed him, the two of them still behind the counter of the cafe. They walked past the bakery case, to the back corner of the bar where stools lined the other side. Kids often came to this very counter bar after school to have ice cream or a pastry before going home to do their revision — Rey had done the same when she was a child.

There on the counter was a beautiful glass cake stand not unlike the one Rey had won on _Bake-Off_. But this one wasn’t engraved, just shiny and spotless in true Hux fashion. Underneath the domed glass lid was a beautiful chocolate cake. The mirror glaze atop it was striking, reflecting all the warm lights above their heads. She spotted swirls of dark and milk chocolate — a marbled mirror glaze was quite impressive indeed — with one simple flower made of fondant right in the middle.

It was a beautiful daisy — dozens of white petals stemming from a golden yellow circle in the middle.

Her breath stopped when she saw what sat atop the golden yellow center of the flower. 

There was no way. He wouldn’t… would he?

Rey felt Hux’s arm around her waist, strong and steady, as he stood at her side, angled towards her. She felt his eyes on her, the warmth of his gaze and the tenderness that sometimes only she could draw from him. He leaned in, nuzzling his nose against her temple, before pressing a kiss there, the wisps of her hair tickling his mouth just a little.

“Will you marry me?” he whispered against her skin, like a secret just meant for the two of them.

The diamond glinted shinier and more stunning than the mirror glaze on the cake, a modest princess cut on a simple gold band. Rey stared at the ring, the sound of her heartbeat in her ears as his question settled on her.

It was too early. It hadn’t even been a year.

But nobody else in Rey’s life knew her as well as Hux. Not even Rose and Finn and Poe, who knew quite a bit. Hux had been there for Rey throughout some of the worst moments of her life. He was endlessly patient, though only for her, and supported her thoroughly in a way that winded her sometimes. Hux had helped Rey in moments of upheaval, had stood confidently at her side during her press tours, had encouraged her to keep fighting, to keep trying, even when it seemed pointless during _Bake-Off_.

She couldn’t picture a life without him. And tears sprung to her eyes when she realized that this question, this _ring_ , meant that he couldn’t picture a life without her, either.

And though a small voice in her head was still saying _this isn’t real, this is too good to be true, this is all just a dream and you’ll wake up soon_ , Rey knew it was wrong. This was real, and it was all the good that she deserved and then some. It was a dream from which she’d never wake up, and it made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world.

Rey turned towards Hux, her arms wrapping around his waist as she nestled against him, head on his shoulder. “Of course I will,” she replied, hearing her voice tremble as a few tears blinked from her eyes.

She embraced him, breathing heavily, trying to will the tears to stop. Though they were happy tears, Rey found that she didn’t want to cry anymore — not for any reason. She had more than she’d ever dreamed of right there in that shop. 

“Hey.”

Hux’s voice was warm, and he was so patient with her, letting her process it all in her own time, though he must have been terrified when she was quiet for so long following his question.

Rey looked up at the sound of his voice, blinking in quick succession to try to fight back any lingering tears. Hux studied her, his eyes gazing into hers, almost as if he were trying to figure out if she really meant it… like maybe he was a little bit in disbelief, too.

He kissed her, slow and sweet, the two of them savoring the moment, the thought of what her answer meant and of what was to come. Rey couldn’t believe that this man who’d made everything he wanted nothing to do with them during _Bake-Off_ was going to be her _husband_. That she’d managed to break through his walls and see the real Hux, all the while showing him the sides of her that she always tried to hide from everyone else. Rey had to be strong, but around Hux she felt safe enough to be weak. It seemed that Hux felt the same towards her.

When they broke the kiss for air, Rey took a deep breath. She pressed her palms to her cheeks, ridding her face of the tears, while Hux reached for the ring. He wiped the dusting of sugar from the fondant off of the band, and then held it out to Rey. Her left hand shook as she brought it up, letting him slide the ring on her finger.

The sight of that diamond on her finger took her breath away, and for a moment, Rey thought she was going to cry all over again.

Instead, she smiled.

Hux pressed a kiss to her forehead, quite pleased at having surprised her three times that day. “I love you,” he reminded her.

“I love you, too,” Rey replied. 

She glanced up at Hux as he stepped away, reaching for a knife to serve them each a slice of the cake. He took care not to damage the flower too terribly, and was careful with all the mismatched dishes in the shop. Rey loved that quirky charm of the cafe, the rustic look, the fact that nothing matched. 

It put a smile on her face as she ate the most delicious cake she’d had in quite a while — since his carrot cake during _Bake-Off_ , for sure. Clearly, Hux was the superior cake baker between the two of them.

“So… if I’m going to run this shop, this means I’m moving back, right?” Rey asked. “That’s why my flat was empty?”

The thought of finding a place to stay on such short notice was daunting, a gargantuan task she didn’t yet feel up to, even with the excitement of owning the shop now, and being engaged to Hux. Had he parked a moving truck out back? She couldn’t fathom any other way the scenario could go.

“Yes, you are. We’ll get to that next.”

Rey frowned. “But your flat is in London.”

Sensing that she wouldn’t let it go until she saw the solution, Hux opted to leave the shop right then. “Alright, come on then,” he said, a smug hint of a smile on his face.

Hux led Rey out of the shop, locking the door behind him, before taking her hand and showing her the way down the street. The spring air was brisk against Rey’s skin, and she now envied Hux for opting to wear that jumper. No more than five minutes later, after many requests that he just _tell her where they’re going for Christ’s sake_ , they stopped outside an adorable two-storey building. 

It was charming and historic, with wrought iron railings on the staircase and on the half-moon balcony on the second floor. The exterior was a pale color — Rey couldn’t see in the dark, but if her memory served, she was pretty sure it was a pastel blue — and there were charming planters of flowers just beginning to bloom dotting the patio out front.

Hux used yet another key from his keyring to open the door and lead Rey inside. It wasn’t a flat, it was a _home_. 

Inside the space, Rey immediately began to spot things she recognized. Not only were her possessions there, all unpacked and ready for use, but _so were his_.

Once again, Rey’s breath caught and she was rendered speechless by Hux. “Let me show you around,” Hux said, taking Rey’s hand again.

They walked through the lounge, to the back of the first level where the kitchen and dining space took up over half of the main level. They walked past the small bathroom and back towards the front door, to the narrow, steep stairs to the second storey. The home was charming, obviously designed many decades — maybe even centuries — before, when life was different. 

Atop the landing it was small, but there were three doors to her left, and Rey could see into all of them. In front of her at the landing of the stairs was a small nook with no door but one very large picture window, a desk in front of it. “You’ll get a lot of natural light there, for your blog posts,” Hux explained as he watched Rey look over the office nook.

In the middle of the floor was another bathroom, and on either side of it, with a railing looking down to the entryway below on the opposite side of the hallway from the doors. All the way at the end of the hallway was a room where Rey instantly recognized her scratched up wooden headboard. It was her bed. The room seemed a bit generic, but that was alright… she could make it like home.

But at the other end of the hallway, nearest the landing, tucked right between the bathroom and the office nook, was a larger bedroom. Inside was Hux’s bed — bigger and better in every way — and she could see more personality in this room. Far more than he’d ever shown in his own flat.

“I hope it’s alright, I took the liberty of putting your bed in the guest room because you’re always saying how you prefer mine over yours.”

“It’s bigger and more comfortable,” Rey explained.

Hux gave Rey a nod, urging her to enter the bedroom first. “Well, now it’s _ours_.”

For the first time all evening, Rey had a frown on her face. “How did you…? And what about…?”

“A mysterious investor or two helped make this all possible. And of course this time, I did, too,” Hux explained. He watched Rey as she looked around, now taking in the sight of the closet filled with both of their clothes.

“The investors had more of a hand in the cafe. The house was my doing, though the investors and your friends here helped me.”

“They what?”

Hux nodded. “They helped me find some good property, and they spent most of this week helping me move in. That way, while you were at work today, we could quickly load up the truck, haul your things here, and get it all unpacked before you arrived,” he told her. “They finished about ten minutes before you arrived at the cafe. It took longer than I’d planned. But it all worked out.”

“What if I’d said no?” Rey asked in shock. “What if you’d gone to all that trouble and then I rejected you?”

Hux looked nonplussed. “I hadn’t even entertained that as an option.”

“That’s awfully cocky of you.”

“No,” he replied, looking a bit smug. “What’s cocky is having quit my job without having secured a new one here yet.”

Rey’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “What!?”

“I’ll get right to work on that,” Hux insisted, trying to placate her. “But I thought it was time we focused solely on you and _your_ aspirations for just a few days.”

Though Rey felt thoroughly overwhelmed, she couldn’t stop her playful side from emerging. Bright laughter escaped her lips as she shook her head and stepped back towards him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders in a warm hug. “I can’t believe you did all this for me.”

“I told you,” Hux said simply. “I love you. I’m no expert, but I hear these are the kinds of things people do for the ones they love.”

“You are too an expert, you liar,” Rey laughed leaning back just enough to kiss him. “Also — will I ever get to find out who these mysterious investors are? If I’m not allowed to pay them back I’d at least like to thank them in person.”

“They’ll be at the wedding,” Hux said simply. “I’ll tell you then.”

Rey threw her head back in laughter. “Okay… shall we get married tonight then, too? One more surprise to top it all off?”

This time it was Hux’s turn to laugh. “Patience, Rey. Patience.”

“Patience? Never heard of her.” Rey poked him in his side. “Tell me. Please?”

“Nope,” he said, grabbing her hands to try to stop her from continuing to poke him in the side. “You have to wait. I promised them I wouldn’t tell.”

Rey growled in playful impatience. “I’ll get you to tell me before the wedding, I swear.”

“You won’t.”

“I will.”

——

Wolverhampton was drenched in the same navy blue colors as the night Hux had brought Rey there on a whim, to give her a home and a cafe and a ring. The sun had long since set behind the trees, the day one year to the date from when Rey had won _Bake-Off_.

Her life had changed so much in one year.

She wore a dress, something white and vintage that ended around her knees, white Keds on her feet and a crown of daisies in her hair. She carried her wedding bouquet — also daisies — in one hand and a slice of carrot cake in the other. Hux followed closely behind her in a smart black suit, a bottle of champagne in one hand and two champagne flutes in the other, a blanket draped over his arm. 

They climbed the small hill near the big oak tree, the wrought iron gate open behind them. Rey had memorized the path they were taking a long time before, and she was now, for the first time, showing Hux. 

Neither spoke as Hux laid out the blanket and Rey rested the bouquet next to the gravestone.

_Tauno & Elizabeth Nolla_  
_Beloved Parents,_  
_Gone Too Soon_  
_January 14, 1999_

He popped the cork on the champagne and Rey settled in on the blanket, waiting for her husband to join her. She took a deep breath and felt a bit silly for a moment, sitting in her wedding dress next to Hux, in the darkness, with a piece of cake and some champagne.

“Hello mum, hello dad,” Rey said softly. “I wanted you to meet Hux. Well… I call him that because he likes it much better, but it’s actually his last name. _My_ last name. It’s… more complicated than I’d really thought.”

Hux watched Rey closely, letting her take the lead on this entire interaction.

“We got married today,” Rey continued. She leaned in towards Hux, legs off to the opposite side and crossed at the ankles. He took a bite of cake as she spoke. “It was beautiful. It was very small. He doesn’t really have a family, either. It was some friends from the show, and my friends from here, from before that… we did the reception at the cafe and it was perfect.”

Rey looked up at Hux, who offered her a bite of cake. 

After she swallowed, Rey continued, “We baked the cake together. It was really special. It reminded me a lot of when you and I would bake together, mum. We used a recipe he’d been given from his mum — she died a while ago, too. About the same time as you both…” Rey trailed off and took a deep breath before she continued. “I made the fondant flowers for the decorations just the way you’d taught me, mum. So it was like we mixed our families for the cake, too… his mum’s recipes, my mum’s decorations.”

Rey took another deep breath. She sipped at her champagne, trying not to let her sadness get to her.

“Dad, I know you’d always said you wanted to walk me down the aisle. I’m sorry you didn’t get to. I wish you would have,” Rey said softly. Hux remembered all the emotions Rey had gone through when she’d realized, when she had to figure out what she wanted to do instead. No girl should ever have to find an alternative to a moment like that, Hux thought. “In the end, I decided to walk alone. Some friends offered, but it didn’t feel right because it wasn’t you. So… I did it myself, and you were there in spirit. That was… the best we could do. It was what I _wanted_ to do.”

Hux kissed Rey’s temple, understanding that this was difficult for her. She’d been so close with them.

“I cried so hard when Hux read his vows. He doesn’t show emotion much, so when he did for this… it was more than I could handle,” Rey said, smiling at the memory. She rested her head on his shoulder. “I love him so much. You’d both love him, too. I know it. He made all of this possible. Him, and our friends Ben and Phasma… they did all of this so I could come home.”

The moment was soft and quiet, Hux able to sense Rey’s gratitude in her statements. It hadn’t been easy, setting aside his pride to ask Ben and Phasma for money, but it had been worth it — they wanted to invest in Rey’s future just as much as he did, and he was just fortunate to be along for the ride.

“Rey looks so beautiful,” Hux interjected. His voice was as gentle as hers, keeping with the tone of the evening. “She always is, but today… she took my breath away. Flowers in her hair, sneakers on her feet… I’d expect nothing less from her.”

Together, they finished off the slice of cake they’d brought and just shared the moment with her parents, at least in thought. It meant a lot to Rey, that they do this, and Hux would do just about anything for Rey, least of all uproot his entire life and move to Wolverhampton on a whim.

He now worked with her at the cafe, the two of them running it together after much insistence from Rey and a lot of arguing to the contrary from Hux. It was _her_ thing, not his.

But she needed his financial, logistical side to sort out everything she didn’t know how to do. She’d barely scraped by in maths as a child — the only talent she had with numbers was the basic maths she needed for baking. The rest was over her head, and if it wasn’t for his aptitude for more complex computing, she’s not sure the cafe would be profiting nearly as much as it was now.

Since taking over the shop, her baking skills had been on display, the selection of pastries in the pastry case rotating each week, the customers thrilled with new, exciting options but the same wonderful service. The cafe was profitable, and once they were on a little steadier ground, she had a sneaky feeling she’d be able to broach the topic of starting a family.

But that would all happen soon enough, Rey knew.

When she began to shiver, Hux offered her his jacket, and it was their cue to begin to pack up. Rey tried her best to help, though her hands were lost in the sleeves of his suit jacket as she worked on messily folding the blanket. “It’s time for us to go now, but we’ll visit again,” Rey said to the gravestone. “We have important wedding-night festivities to get to.”

Hux choked on the last bit of champagne he was drinking. “ _Rey_!” he exclaimed.

“What?” Rey asked incredulously. “Every married couple knows what comes next, anyway.”

“You didn’t need to _tell them_ ,” Hux hissed.

Rey smiled, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. It hit Hux in that moment just how silly his argument was. They both knew in their heart of hearts that though they spoke to their dead parents, their parents couldn’t actually hear them. Rey had effectively announced to a hill full of stone that she was about to go home to have sex with her husband — and he’d been _embarrassed_ by that.

“Alright, you,” he said, slinging the blanket over his arm again. “Come on.”

Rey happily took his free hand, the other carrying the half-empty bottle of champagne.

“Shall we go home and make this marriage officially official?” Rey asked eagerly.

Hux shook his head and rolled his eyes at just how silly her question sounded. “Well, I suppose,” he conceded, feigning disappointment.

Rey let go of his hand to playfully smack his bum over and over again, coaxing him to the other side of the gate so she could close it securely. Though he tried to scoot away, Rey managed to chase him down, a few splashes of champagne ending up on the sidewalk at their feet.

Buzzing with anticipation of the night, weeks, months, and years to come, Rey and Hux held hands once more. They walked along the dimly lit cobblestone streets back to their cozy little home in Wolverhampton, ready and eager to take on the rest of their lives together.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr at armltagehux !


End file.
